Harvey Wallbanger

A balanced and fruity Vodka based cocktail, the Harvey Wallbanger is a classic standard that is sure to please. Enjoy with friends on a Summer evening, or even on your own with your feet up.

The origin of the name Harvery Wallbanger is still up for debate. The creators of the cocktail claim it was the name of a surfer who visited their Los Angeles bar, but this seems doubtful. It's a pretty cool name though and it's really suitable for this cocktail.

There's a fair bit of juice in this cocktail, but don't let that prevent you from making a few. Just be sure to make plenty of juice beforehand, invite your friends over, and have fun!

Total Time 5

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

50 mL Vodka
60 mL Orange Juice
30 mL Lemon Juice
15 mL Galliano
Garnish with a cherry and slice of orange

Instructions

Put Vodka, Orange Juice, and Lime Juice in a cocktail shaker with a good amount of ice. Shake until cold.
Double strain into a Collins glass with ice.
Slowly pour the Galliano over the top.
Add garnish on a cocktail stick.
Drink, enjoy.

Notes

This cocktail dates back to at least the early 1970's and, as mentioned, there's no agreement on where the name came from. It's not a new cocktail, but it's not an extremely old cocktail either. It is very well known though.

You may see variations on this recipe that omit the Lemon Juice, and you may want to as well. The Lemon Juice adds sourness that some may find imbalanced, so adjust to your liking.

Even More Stuff About the Harvey Wallbanger

Vodka, yep! Orange Juice, yep! Lemon Juice, yep! Galliano? OK! It’s an interesting mix, but that’s what sets the Harvey Wallbanger apart from a simple combination of Vodka and Orange Juice. Take a look at what else we have to say about this interesting cocktail.

Is making more than one Harvey Wallbanger at once OK?

This would be fine. If you’re looking to make two cocktails at one, just put double the ingredients into your cocktail shaker and shake away! If you want to make more than two cocktails though, we’d suggest doing two or more batches though. This way you’ll ensure everything is still well shaken.

Do I need to serve a Harvey Wallbanger right away?

Probably. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if this cocktail sat for a little bit, but it’s probably better fresh. Keep in mind that you don’t want the ice to melt to much and dilute the cocktail either.

Is there a good time to have a Harvey Wallbanger?

Although we say the Galliano, as well as the Orange Juice, brings something a little different to the Harvey Wallbanger to separate it from a basic Vodka and Orange Juice, in essence, the Harvey Wallbanger is still just a Vodka and Orange Juice! But that’s what makes it great! Orange Juice with any kind of alcohol make the Harvey Wallbanger a great brunch cocktail; it will have a little more zip to it than other brunch cocktails, but if you’re looking start the day a bit of a different way, why not one of these?

If drinking before noon isn’t your thing, try a Harvey Wallbanger in the mid-afternoon. All that Orange Juice (and the Lemon Juice) don’t really make this feel like an evening drink, but your mileage may vary.

Is the Harvey Wallbanger strong?

It’s a little on the stronger side, but it’s actually about the same as something like a Sea Breeze or a Sex on the Beach. There’s a little bit of sweetness that comes from the Galliano, which offsets the sour aspects put into the drink from both the Orange Juice and the Lemon Juice. This is what make this cocktail sneak up on you a little bit. Vodka doesn’t often add a lot of flavour to things, so it’s possible to forget what you’re drinking and down a couple of these a little bit too quickly. So, if you looked at how much alcohol is in a Harvey Wallbanger in total, it’s not worse that many other drinks (well, mixed drinks, it’s still going to be stronger than beer or wine), but it can be strong if you let your guard down.

Is there good music that goes well with the Harvey Wallbanger?

Considering that the origins of the name “Harvey Wallbanger” may come from the name of a surfer out of Los Angeles, we need some surfing tunes for this cocktail. And we say the name may come from a surfer because we severely doubt that! It seems too convenient. And what sort of a name is Harvey Wallbanger anyway?! Maybe it was a nickname…

Name or not, it’s a good story! So we’ll put this as a surfer cocktail. But, as mentioned, we also reckon it’s a brunch cocktail. Do surfers do brunch? Maybe not a super fancy brunch, but they may brunch… we won’t go with Surf Rock for the Harvey Wallbanger, as it’s not really “brunchy” enough, but what about some nice Acoustic Rock? Something a surfer would listen to while doing brunch.

Looking to do more with Vodka? Take a look at some more cocktail recipes

We have a lot of cocktail recipes on this website, many of which use Vodka as a base. If you’re a fan of Vodka, take a look at some of the links below:

Top 10 Vodka cocktail recipes: these are the ten cocktail recipes that use Vodka that we like best. This is a great place to look if you need quick inspiration.

All Vodka cocktail recipes: we also have a lot more than the ten favourite Vodka cocktail recipes. We have loads! Browse through them.