Everybody knows pink and red Starbursts are the best Starburst. Fact. Even Wrigley, the candy's parent company, admits to it—it's been selling packs of "FaveREDS," AKA just cherry, watermelon, fruit punch and strawberry, since 2010. Naturally, our obsession with the strangely chewy-yet-juicy treat made us wonder if there were other ways to enjoy it.
Since Skittles-infused vodka was such a hit on Facebook—20 million views and counting!—we decided to see whether Starburst could be used to sweeten vodka. Jackpot! It works just as well, cutting the burn of the booze while making it taste like an adults-only version of your favorite convenience store snack.
You could pile all of the flavors into one mason jar, giving the vodka a generic, fruity flavor, or separate them out, like we did. Fair warning: If you're not big on cherry flavor, steer clear of using red only—a few taste-testers thought that particular vodka had a syrupy aftertaste. (Pink, or strawberry, was a winner all-around.)
The candy gives the drink the blush color you'd expect from a Cosmo, and since it sweetens the vodka too, there's no need for cranberry juice. Unless you really want to add a splash. We didn't.
Folding leftover wrappers into a paper crane garnish is an epic finishing touch—get directions for doing so here—but ultimately, it's not necessary. Unless you want to challenge a friend to see who can make one fastest when you're two drinks in. (Spoiler: The winner will be whoever snaps the two of you fumbling through this process.)
Serve up a batch with grilled chicken caesar skewers and any one of these over-the-top takes on popcorn, and you have everything you need for a killer movie night.
Get the recipe.
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