The Screwdriver recipe
for your table
Fill a long drink glass to the rim with ice cubes.
Pour the vodka over the ice.
Top up with cold freshly squeezed orange juice and stir once with a bar spoon.
Garnish with a slice of orange on the rim of the glass.
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Send the Screwdriver recipe to your own email, so you have it at hand when you are about to make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code on purchases from € 50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
The story behind the name is too good not to be true: American oil workers in the Persian Gulf supposedly stirred their vodka into a can of orange juice in the 1940s, and because they did not have a spoon, they used the screwdriver from their tool belt. Around 1949, the name first appeared in American magazines. Whatever the truth may be, the Screwdriver became the drink that made vodka socially acceptable in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, at a time when hardly anyone there knew exactly what vodka was.
The right glass
A Screwdriver belongs in a tall long drink glass of 33 to 40 cl. Tall and narrow is functional here: you have room for plenty of ice, and the more ice you use, the longer your drink stays cold without becoming diluted. Choose clear, colorless glass. The deep orange of fresh orange juice is the only garnish this cocktail needs. A thick base feels stable and more luxurious than the simple recipe might suggest.
Duralex Picardie Highball Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Twelve highball glasses in two sizes together € 40,90.
The right tools
For a Screwdriver, besides the glass, you use a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus press, a glass rimmer and long ice stirrers. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 95,70.
What do you use to make a Screwdriver?
For a Screwdriver, you need the right base. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Add a layer of Galliano and it becomes a Harvey Wallbanger. With blood orange juice, you get a deep-red version with more acidity; a splash of grenadine at the bottom makes it visually almost a Tequila Sunrise. Replace the vodka with gin and you have an Orange Blossom. Looking for more inspiration? Browse all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Squeeze your oranges just before serving: orange juice loses its freshness within half an hour and becomes flat. Roll the fruit firmly over the counter first; noticeably more juice will come out. Store the vodka in the freezer; ice-cold vodka blends more smoothly with the juice and makes your ice melt less quickly.
Good to know
Why the ratio needs to be so precise
The Screwdriver cocktail recipe has only two ingredients, so you taste every deviation immediately: 5 cl vodka to 12 cl freshly squeezed orange juice. If you measure by eye, the Screwdriver cocktail quickly ends up too strong or too weak; with a jigger, you keep the ratio consistent across multiple glasses. Choose a neutral vodka without a pronounced flavor of its own, as it needs to leave room for the juice. And really fill the glass to the top with ice: if it is only half full, the ice melts faster and dilutes your drink before you are halfway through.
Screwdriver or screwdriver?
The name screwdriver drink is nothing more than a literal translation: screwdriver means screwdriver. Good to know if you come across the Screwdriver cocktail under that name on a Dutch menu. Don't confuse it with the Harvey Wallbanger, which has the same base but gets Galliano on top, or with the Orange Blossom, in which gin takes the place of vodka. If you want to make the screwdriver drink itself better, the improvement doesn't come from an extra ingredient but from cold juice, cold vodka, and a glass that has been chilled beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Screwdriver?
A tall 33 to 40 cl highball glass. Check out our highball glasses for catering-quality sets.
What is the right ratio?
One part vodka to roughly two and a half parts orange juice. If you want it lighter, go for 1 to 4; with fresh juice, the flavor will still hold up.
Fresh juice or from a carton?
Fresh, if possible. In a cocktail with two ingredients, you taste everything. If it has to come from a carton, choose a not-from-concentrate variety and add a few drops of lemon juice for freshness.
Can you make a Screwdriver alcohol-free?
Yes: replace the vodka with a 0.0 alternative, or make it with fresh orange juice, sparkling water, and a slice of orange. Serve it in the same glass with plenty of ice; the experience here is mainly in the presentation.
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