Vodka may not seem the most obviously useful ingredient in the cocktail cupboard, in the sense that it is typically just a neutral, coulourless spirit that at most can only add a further shot of alcohol to a mixed drink. However, many of the modern cocktails are based on the principle of blending a range of different, often exotic fruit flavours over an alcohol base that doesn’t interfere with the taste of them. If there are surprisingly few vodka cocktails from the classic era, that is because vodka wasn’t then generally commercially available.
» Vodka Cocktails

Of the six basic spirits that are used in cocktail making, gin is the most versatile. That may seem strange in view of its assertively perfumed character, but it is precisely the herb and spice aromatics in its composition that enable it to blend well with a range of liqueurs and fruit juices, and even other spirits. In addition to that, it has in common with plain vodka, white rum and silver tequila the useful attribute of colourlessness, so that it makes a neutral background for some flamboyant looking creations.
» Gin Cocktails