The Weekend Calls for Something Cold and Clear

As the heat holds through the weekend, vodka is doing quiet work behind bars from the Hamptons to Aspen. The spirit's clean profile makes it a natural base for a drink meant to cool rather than warm a room, which is exactly the mood callin for right now. A vodka cocktail rewards restraint — a good bartender knows the spirit is there to carry citrus, herbs or a splash of soda, not compete with them. It is a simple pleasure, and a fitting one for a weekend spent trying to stay cool.

With reporting from Robb Report Dining.