*this blog post and recipe is sponsored by Singing Dog Vanilla. There are links in this post that are affiliate links which I may receive a small commission, with no extra cost to you!*
There's something so nostalgic about the combination of cherry and vanilla in a soda. The sweet flavor of the cherries paired with the delicateness of the vanilla just goes so well together, and when paired with some vodka, you've got a fabulous cocktail that makes minimal effort to make. This cherry vanilla vodka soda recipe is everything a "vodka soda" drink should be.

This cocktail is a refreshing, a touch sweet, and great all year long.
Fruit-forward cocktails such as my grapefruit gin fizz or my citrus spritz inspired me to make this recipe, especially when we make our own cherry syrup and we use vanilla is from my favorite vanilla brand, Singing Dog Vanilla.
Jump to:
Who is Singing Dog Vanilla?
Singing Dog Vanilla came about, believe it or not, on April Fool's Day back where two friends decided to make a business out of selling vanilla. Their practices are focused on sourcing the best vanilla from the highest quality places. Plus, their passionate about sharing their profits with their organic farmers as part of their Fair Trade Plus+ Program. Singing Dog Vanilla makes a variety of different products, all based on organic vanilla such as salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla paste.
Their vanilla syrup is pure, delicious, and made with 25% more vanilla than other syrups. I love adding this to:
- Coffee
- Iced coffees
- Cocktails (such as this one)
- Baking
You can read more about them here!

What are the ingredients for this recipe?
You're going to love that this recipe only calls for four ingredients, with a fun tutorial on how to make your own cherry syrup.

- Pitted Dark Red Cherries
- Vanilla Syrup - you can find Singing Dog Vanilla's Organic Vanilla Syrup here, or on Amazon
- Vodka
- Sparkling Water
See the recipe card below for specific information about quantities.
How do I make this recipe?
The most intense part of this recipe is making your own cherry syrup, which is optional, but makes this recipe even more special.

Add the cherries to a medium sized pot with ⅔ cup water and ½ cup sugar and bring to a boil.

Once the cherries reach a boil, bring the flame to low and let the cherries reduce for an additional 15-20 minutes. Drain the syrup into a jar and set aside.

In a rocks glass, add in ice, vodka, cherry syrup, and the vanilla syrup.

Stir with a cocktail spoon, then top with sparkling water. Top with a cherry and serve.
Hint: Be sure to strain the cherry syrup in a mesh sieve so that you get as clean of a syrup a possible.
Recipe Swaps and Substitutions
If you want to make this recipe, but are looking for some simple swaps, here's what I suggest:
- Syrup - you do not need to make your own cherry syrup for this. You can even use grenadine if you want!
- Vodka - leave it out entirely and make this a mocktail, or swap with gin.
- Sparkling water - if you prefer the taste of tonic you could use this here instead of sparkling water.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Make this recipe for a variety of different events, including:
- Large Pitcher - you can easily make this for a large crowd by adding all of the syrup, 3oz vanilla, an entire bottle of sparkling water, and 3 shots of vodka.
- Girls Night
- Pizza Night
- BBQ - pair this with my crescent roll mini hot dogs or spinach dip as an appetizer and you're all set.

Bar Equipment and Tools
For this particular recipes, you'll need a few common items to make the cherry syrup, and then some items for the bar:
- A cocktail spoon: this most of the time comes with a cocktail shaker set, and this helps to stir the cocktail together once you add in the carbonated drink like a prosecco or a club soda (which is what we're doing here).
- Medium pot: we make the cherry syrup using the pot.
- High ball glasses: I LOVE my glasses from homegoods (my go to for cocktail glasses). but you can use whatever glasses you have, or a very large water glass. No judgment at all!
- Mesh Sieve: I have this set and love that there are three different sizes I can choose.
How do I store this recipe?
If you're preparing this cocktail ahead of time, you could combine the vanilla and cherry syrup with the vodka together in a separate pitcher without ice. Once you are ready to serve the drink, add ice to a few glasses, then top the glasses with the sparkling water. If you add the ice to the drink and let it sit in the fridge, the ice will melt and cause the drink to dilute.
PRO TIP:
Rim the glass with some sugar or even, Singing Dog Vanilla's vanilla salt for added flavor and texture.
Hungry for More?
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Cherry Vanilla Vodka Soda Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 mesh sieve
- 1 medium jar
- jigger
- cocktail spoon
- 2 high ball glasses
Ingredients
For the Cherry Syrup
- 1 ½ cups pitted dark cherries
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ cup cane sugar
For the Cocktail
- 2 oz vanilla syrup
- 2 oz cherry syrup
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 oz sparkling water
- ice
Instructions
For the Cherry Syrup
- Add the cherries to a medium sized pot with ⅔ cup water and ½ cup sugar and bring to a boil.
- Once the cherries reach a boil, bring the flame to low and let the cherries reduce for an additional 15-20 minutes. Drain the syrup into a jar and set aside.
For the Cocktail
- In a rocks glass, add in ice, vodka, cherry syrup, and the vanilla syrup.
- Stir with a cocktail spoon, then top with sparkling water. Top with a cherry and serve.
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