Vodka
Palm Springs
Vodka, pineapple, cranberry, and lime — four ingredients, zero fuss, straight beach-day energy.
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested at home before it's published — not just written.
Origin
Palm Springs doesn't have the documented lineage of a Trader Vic original or an IBA-championship winner — it reads as a more recent addition to the tropical-cocktail family, built in the same spirit as classics like the Mai Tai and Bahama Mama but without a single credited inventor or founding decade attached. What it does have is a clear identity: unlike most tiki drinks, which lean on rum by default, this one runs on vodka, letting the pineapple and cranberry juices carry the tropical character instead of the spirit itself. That makes it a genuinely easy entry point into the wider tiki category for someone who doesn't yet own rum, orgeat, or falernum — just vodka and two juices most people already have. Sometimes the best origin story a cocktail has is that it simply works, and enough people kept making it that it stuck.
Flavour Profile
Good for a poolside afternoon or anyone easing into tropical cocktails without committing to a full rum-and-syrup bar. Not complex or spirit-forward — vodka stays clean and mostly invisible. Light strength, genuinely easy-drinking.
Glass & Garnish
Highball, over ice. Garnish: a cherry.
Ingredients
- Vodka2 oz
- Pineapple juice4 oz
- Cranberry juice1 oz
- Fresh lime juice0.5 oz
Method
- Fill a highball with ice.
- Add lime juice.
- Add cranberry juice.
- Add vodka.
- Top with pineapple juice.
- Stir gently.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Notes
White rum or tequila substitute for vodka — rum leans further tropical, tequila adds an earthy edge. Orange juice substitutes for pineapple, though flavor shifts noticeably. Pomegranate juice substitutes for cranberry. Batches easily for a group over fresh ice per glass. Pairs with light dishes — grilled fish, chicken skewers, or a fresh salad.
Tools Used
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