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Home » Recipes » Drinks

Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail

Modified: Mar 1, 2025 · Published Jul 7, 2022 · by Jacqueline Piper · Leave a Comment · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.

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Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background with text title for Pinterest.
Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background with text title for Pinterest.
Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background with text title for Pinterest.

Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail | Try this Thai spin on a vodka cocktail with lots of Thai inspired flavors. My Thai inspired vodka cocktail includes Tito's vodka (my favorite vodka), Tonic water or sparkling water, simple syrup, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, Thai lime leaf, lime juice, and a bird's eye chili for a fragrant, flavorful and pretty looking drink.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make a Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail
  • Substitutions
  • Equipment
  • Tips & FAQ
  • Recipe

I have an obsession with Thai food; the flavors and the balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty.  My favorite Thai ingredients are lemongrass, Thai chilies, Thai basil, lime, fish sauce, coconut milk, and lime leaves. I love curry and coconut soup, Massaman, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, the list goes on and on...

After buying a Thai basil plant and mint plant, I had the idea to try to create a cocktail based on them. I had some lime leaves and red Thai chilies in the freezer (as always) and some simple syrup. (The red chili was just a garnish, for color) I brought out Tito’s vodka (not sponsored, just love it) and started muddling and pouring. The end result was a cocktail I loved.

If you don’t have simple syrup on hand, check out my simple syrup recipe post for that, it’s as easy as combining and heating sugar and water.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.

Ingredients

Learn more below about the ingredients. See recipe card for exact amounts.

  • vodka: I use Titos's vodka for this cocktail because it's my favorite. Use your favorite!
  • simple syrup: Simple syrup, just like it's name is really easy to make - it's just sugar and water. Use a different sweetener if you prefer or granulated sugar - but sugar will make the drink grainy. See the tip below or my blog post on how to make simply syrup.
  • Thai basil leaves: Thai basil has a purple stem, long, narrow and study leaves and gives a more anise (licorice) flavor than more common Italian sweet basil.
  • mint leaves: I love mint leaves in cocktails for their delicate flavor. Smack them between your hands or muddle them in your glass to release their full flavor.
  • Thai lime leaf: lime leaves are large very sturdy almost waxy leaves with an intense citrus flavor and perfume.
  • red Thai chili: you could use a green one also, or skip it. Gives some color and is a pretty garnish, in my opinion.
  • lime juice: I prefer fresh lime juice but you can use bottled if you have it.
  • tonic water: tonic water or sparkling water will both work for this cocktail.

How to make Simply Syrup: Heat together equal parts of sugar and water, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves. This allows for a smoother drink with no sugar granules.

How to Make a Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail

Prep this:

  • Wash the herbs if needed.
  • Make simple syrup.

First, make your Simple Syrup. It takes 5 minutes and it's really easy. Or use sugar.

Adding simple syrup to a cocktail glass of mint leaves.

Add the simple syrup and the lime leaf, basil leaves and mint leaves to a glass.

Muddling leaves and simple syrup with a wooden spoon.

Use a cocktail muddler or a spoon to muddle the leaves, which is just hitting them a bit to release their oils and flavors.

Squeezing lime juice into a cocktail glass.

Squeeze the lime juice in.

Adding a shot of vodka to a cocktail glass.

Add the vodka.

Adding ice to a cocktail glass.

Add ice.

Adding sparkling water to a cocktail glass.

Fill to the top with tonic water.

Adding a red Thai chili to a cocktail glass.

Garnish with the optional Thai chili.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.

Garnish with a sliced of lime for a pretty look.

TIP: The red Thai chili is just for looks! If you want a bit of spice in your drink, try the smashing the chili once or twice. These chilis are very hot so be careful.

Substitutions

Don't have simple syrup? If you don't want to make simple syrup, try using sugar instead. Your drink won't be as smooth but it'll taste great.

Don't have tonic water? Try a sparkling water or even a lemon or lime flavored sparkling water.

Don't have the Thai herbs? They are easy to find at an Asian grocer but you can skip them are try just mint if you want to.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.

Equipment

I use a cocktail muddler or small wooden spoon when I don't have my muddler on hand.

Tips & FAQ

What cocktail goes with Thai food?

I think this citrusy, minty, slightly sweet cocktail goes well with Thai food.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.

Recipe

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background.
5 from 3 votes

Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail

Author : Jacqueline Piper
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Thai inspired vodka cocktail includes Tito's vodka (my favorite vodka), Tonic water or sparkling water, simple syrup, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, Thai lime leaf, lime juice, and a bird's eye chili for a fragrant, flavorful and pretty looking drink.
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Equipment

  • Cocktail Muddler

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 1.5 oz Vodka
  • 1 cup ice
  • 4-5 leaves Thai basil
  • 3-4 leaves mint
  • 1 Thai lime leaf
  • 1 red Thai chili bird's eye chili, optional
  • ⅔ cup tonic water or sparkling water, approximately
  • squeeze fresh lime juice
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Add the simple syrup, lime leaf, Thai basil and mint to a cocktail glass with simple syrup and muddle together.
  • Add lime juice, ice, and vodka.
  • Add the tonic water and garnish with the red chili (optional). Serve.

Video

Notes

Don't have simple syrup? If you don't want to make simple syrup, try using sugar instead. Your drink won't be as smooth but it'll taste great.
Don't have tonic water? Try a sparkling water or even a lemon or lime flavored sparkling water.
Don't have the Thai herbs? They are easy to find at an Asian grocer but you can skip them are try just mint if you want to.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 1g | Sugar: 34g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.

Have you tried this recipe?Tag @pipercooksblog on Instagram so we can see it!

Save this image to your Cocktails board on Pinterest to make later.

Two cocktails garnished with Thai leaves and chilies on a marble background with text title for Pinterest.

This post was originally posted on July 25, 2016. Updated July 07, 2022, to provide clearer recipe information, a video tutorial, and nutritional information.

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