Can you believe that it’s almost time for patio season? What does that mean to you? To me, that means sitting out on my front porch, catching up with friends and family, watching the sunsets, and enjoying a great drink like this kiwi and lime vodka sour recipe. Cocktail hour at home doesn’t get any better than this!

While this may be a great summer cocktail, it’s the perfect lead into spring and one that has quickly become a personal favorite!

Related: if you’re a fan of cherry flavor, you’ll love our cherry vodka sour recipe

Whenever I order a cocktail at a restaurant or bar, I tend to lean towards a sour drink as opposed to a sweet cocktail. This comes as no surprise as I’m someone who loves any and all sour gummy candies. I also love citrus and incorporating it into delicious recipes whenever possible.

Once I decided that I was going to put my spin on a classic vodka sour, I knew that it was going to need to have the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The sweetness from the kiwi syrup and citrus juice from the lime did the trick!

Want to know the best thing about making your own vodka cocktails at home? Happy hour can be any time you want it to be!

Ingredients you’ll Need

This tasty drink only requires a few simple ingredients. Approachable and easy recipes are what I had in mind when selecting these ingredients. See the list, below.

Kiwis
Fresh lime juice
Kiwi infused syrup (can use simple syrup in lieu of)
Vodka
Tonic water

See recipe card for quantities.

You do not need to have the best vodka on hand to make this the perfect drink. Honestly, any regular vodka will do. Most grocery stores carry everything from top shelf like Grey Goose to cheaper options like Seagram’s or Svedka.

How to Make the Best Vodka Sour Recipe

Below are some process shots along with step-by-step instructions:

Kiwi lime cocktail ingredients in a mixing glass.

1. Slice kiwis into small cubes. In a tall mixing glass, add in sliced kiwis, juice from one lime and 2 oz of kiwi syrup. Muddle everything together.

Kiwi lime cocktail ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

2. Pour contents into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add in 3 oz of vodka.

Kiwi lime cocktail ingredients in a glass.

3. Shake and pour over glass with ice. Top off each glass with tonic water.

4. Add a slice of kiwi and slice of lime for garnish. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Use ripe kiwis and limes to get the maximum juice and flavor when making this drink.
Serve this classic cocktail over ice cubes in a hi-ball glass or an old-fashioned glass like I did here.
To get that classic white foam, shake one raw egg white with your other ingredients minus the tonic water in a shaker before adding the ice. Then add the ice and give it a good shake.
If you want to enjoy a frothy topping on your classic drink but don’t like the sound of adding raw egg whites, consider adding two tablespoons of aquafaba to your cocktail shaker.

Recipe Substitutions

I’ve included a few substitution options down below including what to use if you don’t have kiwi syrup, prefer a different liquor or citrus. You also have other options for fruits if kiwis aren’t your thing.

Kiwi Infused Syrup – instead of using kiwi infused syrup like I did, you can use a store-bought or homemade simple syrup.
Vodka – if you’d rather use a different base liquor, you can swap out the vodka for whiskey to make a whiskey sour. Swapping out vodka for white rum or gin would also make an amazing sour cocktail recipe.
Kiwis – you can always swap out the kiwis for another fruit like strawberries or pineapples. You can follow the instructions to my strawberry mocktail recipe and add 3 oz of vodka to it.
Lime Juice – if you don’t have a lime on hand or aren’t a fan of them, you can still achieve that tart flavor from fresh lemon juice or fresh sour mix.

Recipe Variations

Below, are a few variation options including how to make this simple cocktail spicy and how to make it kid/sober friendly.

Spicy – if you’d like to add in a little heat, consider muddling a slice of jalapeño or two along with your kiwis.
Kid Friendly – simply omit the alcohol to make this a kid friendly drink.

Equipment

Cocktail shaker
Mixing glass
Muddler
Bar spoon

Storage Tips

Store unused kiwis and limes at room temperature.

What is a Vodka Sour?

A vodka sour is a classic cocktail made with vodka, a citrus juice, simple syrup, and optionally egg white, served over ice. Other variations include bitters. For this particular recipe, I opted to incorporate a splash of tonic water.

Food safety

Wash all produce thoroughly before preparing drinks.

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For even more delicious recipes, you may like these:

Make this Simple and Refreshing Cherry Vodka Sour Recipe

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3 Ingredient Tequila Moscow Mule Recipe

Refreshing Lemon and Strawberry Mocktail Recipe

Prep Time:8

Cook Time:0

Total Time:8

Servings:

Author: Melissa Bravo-Almazan

Ingredients

2 kiwis
1 lime
2 oz kiwi syrup can use simple syrup
3 oz vodka
4 oz tonic water

Instructions

Slice kiwis into small cubes. In a tall mixing glass, add in sliced kiwis, juice from one lime and 2 oz of kiwi syrup. Muddle everything together.
Pour contents into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add in 3 oz of vodka. Shake and pour over glass with ice. Top off each glass with tonic water. Add a slice of kiwi and slice of lime for garnish. Enjoy!