The origin story of the 'screwdriver' cocktail

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vodka orange/bocci ball

Flickr/Stuart Webster

A screwdriver.

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A third of all cocktails ordered in the US contain vodka, a spirit that pours in $20 billion annually in sales, according to Victorino Matus author of Vodka: How a colorless, odorless, flavorless spirit conquered America.

One of the first vodka-based cocktails, the screwdriver, is made from two ingredients: vodka and orange juice.

In his book, Matus explains how the screwdriver got its name.

During the 1950s, American oil workers in the Persian Gulf discreetly added vodka to their orange juice while on the job.

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Lacking a spoon, the workers decided to stir the drink with a screwdriver.