Power Drill

A small-glass shot of vodka and orange juice topped with a splash of bitter beer. Equal parts vodka and orange juice in a shot glass, splash of beer on top. Drinks bright-citrus and bitter-finish, named for the punch the splash of beer adds at the end.

Power Drill

4.34 from 15 votes

Calories: 90kcal

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Ingredients

▢ 1 Part(s) Vodka
▢ 1 Part(s) Orange Juice
▢ 1 Splash(s) Bitter Beer

Instructions

▢
Almost fill a shot glass with equal parts of orange juice and Vodka. Add a splash of beer. and serve.

Estimated Nutrition:

Calories: 90kcal (5%)Carbohydrates: 3g (1%)Sugar: 3g (3%)

Where it came from

Power Drill is a shot-format variation on the Screwdriver, designed to deliver a faster hit than the long-cocktail version. The build pairs equal parts vodka and orange juice with a splash of bitter beer on top. The recipe came out of college bar culture, where shot-format Screwdrivers were a way to drink a faster version of the standard cocktail.

It sits in the screwdriver-shot family with the Hammerhead, the Sledgehammer and the Madras Shot. All four lean on vodka plus a citrus mixer in shot format. Power Drill separates itself with the beer splash on top, which delivers a bitter-malt finish on the back palate that no straight Screwdriver or Hammerhead produces.

Best ordered at a casual college bar, a house party or any setting where a fast pour matters more than presentation. The drink is approachable, citrus-sweet then bitter-malt, and works as a quick novelty shot when the bartender wants a faster version of the Screwdriver.

What it tastes like

Sweet orange juice up front, soft vodka through the middle, sharp bitter beer on the finish. The beer splash sits on top of the shot before the drinker tilts back, so the first hit is the beer bitterness followed by the orange-vodka sweetness underneath. Reads as a layered shot, not a single homogeneous pour.

Around 14 percent ABV in the shot once mixed. Equal parts vodka at 40 percent ABV and zero-ABV orange juice plus a small splash of beer at 5 percent ABV gives a stronger-than-cocktail short pour. Each shot glass holds about 1.5 ounces of the mixed drink.

The technique

Pour equal parts vodka and orange juice into a shot glass, almost to the rim. Add a splash of bitter beer on top, just enough to cover the surface. Drink in one pull, tilting back fast so the beer and the vodka-orange hit together.

The almost-fill is the technique. Filling the shot glass completely leaves no room for the beer splash; underfilling cuts the orange-vodka portion too short. About three-quarters fill of the vodka-orange mix, with the splash of beer to top, gives the layered effect that defines the shot.

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Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

The orange juice

Use: Fresh orange juice or premium chilled juice such as Tropicana Pure Premium.
Skip: Concentrated orange juice from frozen. Different sugar profile.
Why: Fresh orange juice is the lead flavour and the brightness. The volatile oils and the natural pulp lift the vodka and balance the beer splash; concentrated juice runs over-sweet and lacks the freshness that defines the shot.

The bitter beer splash

Use: Boddingtons, Newcastle or any English-style bitter at 4 to 5 percent ABV.
Skip: Light lager or stout. Wrong malt profile or too dark.
Why: Bitter beer is the back-palate finish and the layered effect. The English-style malt sits cleanly on top of the orange-vodka mix and delivers a bitter cut on the back palate; light lager fades and stout overpowers the orange-vodka underneath.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

The standard build

Power Drill, classic: Equal parts vodka and orange juice in a shot glass, splash of bitter beer on top. Drink in one pull.

The strong build

Heavy Power Drill: Two parts vodka to one part orange juice in a shot glass, splash of beer on top. Stronger spirit hit, sharper layered finish.

The dry build

Power Drill with grapefruit: Swap the orange juice for grapefruit juice. Different citrus angle, same beer-on-top finish.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No bitter beer?

Brown ale or stout for a darker version, or pilsner for a lighter version. Different finish character, holds the layered-on-top role.

No vodka?

Gin or white rum work as substitutes; both hold the clear-spirit role. The orange juice carries the lead flavour either way.

No fresh orange juice?

Premium chilled orange juice such as Tropicana. Different sugar curve, holds the citrus base.

No shot glass?

A small rocks glass or a small heavy-bottomed glass works. The 1.5-ounce volume is the constraint, not the brand of glassware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Power Drill?

Equal parts vodka and orange juice in a shot glass, with a splash of bitter beer on top. Three ingredients, layered shot.

Why is it called a Power Drill?

Named for the punch the splash of beer adds at the end, riffing on the kick a power tool delivers compared to a hand drill. The Screwdriver is the hand-tool version; the Power Drill adds the beer splash for the kick.

How strong is a Power Drill?

Around 14 percent ABV in the shot once mixed. Roughly equal to half a standard drink per 1.5-ounce serving, but drunk fast in one pull.

What does it taste like?

Sweet orange juice up front, soft vodka through the middle, sharp bitter beer on the finish. Reads as a layered shot with the beer providing the back-palate kick.

Why splash beer on top instead of mixing it in?

The splash on top delivers the beer flavour as the first hit when the drinker tilts back, before the orange-vodka mix underneath. Mixing the beer in dilutes the layered effect and the shot reads as a flat Screwdriver with a malt note.

Can I use orange soda instead of orange juice?

Yes for a sweeter, carbonated variation. The shot reads as a Screwdriver-and-cola hybrid; the orange juice version is the standard build.

Is it the same as a Hammerhead?

No. The Hammerhead is vodka plus orange juice plus pineapple juice in shot format. The Power Drill swaps the pineapple juice for a beer splash on top.

Can I make Power Drills for a group?

Build per shot glass at the same ratio. The almost-fill plus splash technique does not scale into a pitcher; mix the vodka and orange juice in advance and pour the beer splash per shot at service.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read

All Vodka, Beer, Cocktail, Bitter Beer, Orange Juice, P, Photo, Recipe, Vodka

Power Drill

Power Drill

Power Drill

Ingredients

Instructions

Estimated Nutrition:

Where it came from

What it tastes like

The technique

Tell us what's in your cabinet.

One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.

Ingredient Spotlight

The orange juice

The bitter beer splash

Three Variations

The standard build

The strong build

The dry build

What if I don't have…

Frequently Asked Questions

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