Screwdriver
Vodka and orange juice over ice. The drink that introduced America to vodka in the 1940s, named — supposedly — for the tool that stirred it.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a highball glass with ice.
Add the vodka.
Top with fresh orange juice and stir.
Garnish with an orange slice.
A thoughtful finish
- Fresh juice. There is nothing else in the glass, and carton juice is sweet, flat and the reason the drink is a punchline.
- Two to one juice to vodka is a drink; four to one is breakfast. Choose.
- A pinch of salt or a dash of orange bitters makes it taste more of oranges.
Common mistakes
- Orange juice from concentrate.
- Warm juice and little ice.
- Cheap vodka with a burn that the juice cannot hide.
A few good questions.
Where does the name come from?
The story is that American oil workers abroad stirred vodka into their juice with a screwdriver. It is unverified and probably at least partly true.
What is the ratio?
Two parts juice to one vodka for a cocktail; more juice for a morning drink. There is no rule.
Can I use other juices?
Then it is a different named drink: grapefruit makes a Greyhound, cranberry a Cape Codder, pineapple with cranberry a Bay Breeze.
What is a Harvey Wallbanger?
A Screwdriver with Galliano floated on top. It was the drink of the 1970s.
Variations
- Harvey Wallbanger — With a Galliano float.
- Tequila Sunrise — Tequila, orange juice and grenadine.
- Mimosa — Orange juice and Champagne.
- Greyhound — Vodka and grapefruit.
Where it comes from
c. 1940s · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Screwdriver’s name is explained by a story about American oil workers in the Persian Gulf in the 1940s who stirred vodka into their orange juice with a screwdriver because they had nothing else; Time magazine mentioned the drink in 1949 as a novelty of the Turkish and Middle Eastern expatriate set. It arrived in America with the Smirnoff campaigns of the 1950s that sold vodka as the spirit that left no smell, and it became the first vodka drink most Americans ever had. Add Galliano and it is a Harvey Wallbanger; add sloe gin and Southern Comfort and it is an Alabama Slammer. It is only as good as the orange juice.
Sources
- Time magazine, 1949 (article)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
Strength. About 1.33 US standard drinks at an estimated 11.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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