Décolletage Martini

This cocktail is a little early since breast cancer awareness month is October, but Mother's Day was just last weekend and the various pink ribbon support visuals are already out in force. Originally, I wanted to call this the "Booby Trap" martini, but Molly convinced me to class it up a bit. Décolletage is french for cleavage or a woman's torso. So we'll go with that to have a Pink Ribbon martini in the mix.

This cocktail utilizes the new Absolut Gräpevine flavor. Coupled with the various tropical flavors of X-Rated and bubblegum flavored vodka, the result is sweet and fruity but not like any one particular flavor. The spiced rum keeps it from being too sweet and grenadine brings out a nice pink color.

• 2 oz X-Rated Passion Liqueur
• 2 oz Absolut Gräpevine Vodka
• 1/2 oz Three Olives Bubble Vodka
• 1/2 oz Spiced Rum
• 4 - 6 Drops Grenadine
• Lemon Peel

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass. With a kitchen peeler, carve off a length of lemon zest. Fashion the zest into a hope ribbon and pin it with a skewer to garnish the drink.

Mango Martini

Absolut has had its mango vodka out for quite awhile, but like watermelon or cucumber, the flavor is so light that it's easily overpowered with just about anything you mix it with. So adding fresh fruit and pairing it with enhancing liqueurs makes this cocktail come together. The coconut adds sweetness and the tequila keeps it from being too sugary. A little orange juice adds color and helps bring out the taste of the mango. Overall, the taste is unique with a tequila undertone and a strong mango aftertaste.

• 2 oz Absolut Mango Vodka
• 1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
• 1 oz Silver Tequila
• 1/2 oz Orange Juice
• Fresh Mango

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Muddle a quarter of a ripe mango in the bottom of a shaker. Shake with the rest of the ingredients on ice until it sweats. Strain into the glass with a fine strainer to keep the mango pulp out. Garnish with a mango slice.

Blue Velvet Martini

This is quickly becoming my new favorite recipe. It's like a blueberry/flowery/herbal combination that tastes like vanilla, grape, and lavender all at once. It's a bit sweet, so the Benedictine cuts that and blends into the drink to hardly be noticeable. Falernum is a Caribbean syrup that's sold locally as a rum based liqueur. It's aroma reminds me of the old root beer barrel candies, and like the Benedictine, adds a richness to the cocktail that really puts it over the top. (And provides the obvious moniker to a blue colored martini.) ;) In this case, I've used my homemade blueberry infused vodka, but Stolichnaya Blueberi or similar would work equally well.


Make one of these, press play on David Lynch's classic movie, and relax while sipping this smooth and distinctive libation.

• 2 oz Blueberry Vodka
• 1 1/2 oz Creme De Violette
• 1 oz Velvet Falernum
• 1/2 oz Benedictine
• Egg White
• Blueberries

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the egg white until frothy before adding other liquid ingredients with ice. Shake until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a skewer of blueberries.

Tiger Eye Martini

In case you've never heard of it, cachaça is one of the most popular spirits in South America. Like rum, it's fermented from sugar cane, but with the pure cane juice instead of the molasses sugar byproduct. This yields a liquor that's not as sweet and tastes more pure than even light rum.

This cocktail adds to that basic flavor with some pretty unique additives. I tried three or four renditions of the cachaça with amaretto and finally settled on the bacon-infused vodka as the best partner as it didn't add any sweetness. The result is a very nice concoction that's a beautiful golden color. Adding the Kahlua gives the drink it's signature look and compliments it well at the end. Sometimes the strangest of mixes yields surprisingly good results!

• 3 oz Cachaça
• 1 oz Bakon Vodka
• 1 oz Disaronno
• Splash of Kahlua
• Dash of Angostura Bitters

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the first three ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Drizzle Kahlua into the center of the drink to form the "eye" in the bottom of the glass. Sprinkle with a few drops of Angostura.

Molly Martini

Molly indicated that her ideal cocktail would contain watermelon and cucumber, since those are a couple of her favorite flavors. So now that watermelon is again available at the grocer and I've finally gotten around to picking up watermelon schnapps, here it is — a martini named in her honor.

The watermelon and cucumber have such delicate flavors, adding much else quickly overpowers the drink. However the lovely vanilla hints of the bison grass vodka really do take a simple mix to a new level. The grapefruit cuts the sweetness and with grenadine provides the perfect pink color. The initial taste is all watermelon that settles as cucumber and finishes with a nice vanilla grassiness. I think it's definitely one of the top recipes here.

• 2 oz Watermelon Schnapps
• 2 oz Square One Cucumber Vodka
• 1/2 oz Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka
• 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
• Splash of Grenadine
• Watermelon Wedge
  

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with the watermelon wedge. Otherwise a cucumber slice would work equally as well as garnish.

Aloha Martini

This light refreshing cocktail came about after playing with ways to finish up a tin of pineapple juice I had on hand. The juice has such an overpowering flavor that it dominates most drinks that use it. In this concoction, I strove to minimize the pineapple and bring out other flavors that work well with it. The result is reminiscent of a Mai Tai and has a nice flowery aftertaste. Like the Tropical Martini, it's nice and fruity without being overpoweringly sweet, like many dessert martinis.

It is decidedly Hawaiian given its pineapple touch and I feel embodies the perfect cocktail to enjoy while enjoying the beach or whilst wishing you were there. Since hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower, I've incorporated it into the garnish by soaking it into the garnish. It's a nice spicy contrast to the mildly sweet drink.

• 3 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 2 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Splash of Amaretto
• Hum Botanical Liqueur Soaked Pineapple Wedge
• Maraschino Cherry
  

Soak wedges of pineapple in Hum liqueur overnight. Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with a skewered pineapple wedge and a cherry.

El Diablo Martini

Once Molly and I were shopping for groceries when a little Hispanic girl pointed at me and said, "Mira mamá, es El Diablo!" I assume she saw the devil tattoo on my arm. ;) We still chuckle over it frequently.

So to balance out the mortal karma from posting an Easter Martini, here's a hell-fire cocktail Satan himself could be proud of. Spicy, blood red, and delicious. The flames really are just the cherry on the cake. Cue the Squirrel Nut Zippers...

"In the afterlife
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
But tomorrow there'll be Hell to pay..."

• 2 oz Absolut Peppar
• 1 oz Creme De Cassis
• 1 oz Hum Botanical Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Grenadine
• 2 Red Jalapeno Peppers
• 1/4 oz Over-proof Alcohol (Stroh 80 or Bacardi 151)

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Muddle one of the seeded jalapenos and add the first four ingredients to a shaker. Shake until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with the other pepper and carefully layer the over-proof alcohol across the top. Light the cocktail and serve while under flame.

Easter Martini

Although Easter has deep roots in Christian and Pagan beliefs, to me it still means lots of candy. Especially Cadbury's Creme Eggs which have always been my favorite Easter candy. So to encapsulate the chocolate and fondue loveliness, I've come up with a nice layered martini that tastes like and looks like the famous candy egg.

• 3 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz Creme De Cacao
• 1/2 oz Frangelico
• 2 oz Half & Half
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• Milk Chocolate Bar
• Hershey's Syrup

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Run a bead of Hershey's syrup around the glass edge and rim it with shaved chocolate. Put the rimmed glass and the shot of orange juice in the freezer. (Keeping the orange juice very cold helps to layer it later). Add the other four ingredients and shake with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Pour the chilled orange juice into the center of the chocolate rimmed glass. With the back of a bar spoon, carefully layer the cocktail by pouring the shaken ingredients over the orange juice. Garnish with a layer of shaved milk chocolate.

Fluffernutter Martini

Molly's coworkers recently suggested a peanut butter/marshmallow martini. If you've never had a Flufflernutter sandwich, go make one now. It's magic between two slices of bread!

The ingredients are pretty obvious given the existence of both peanut butter vodka and marshmallow vodka. It only needs the vodka burn tuned down a bit.

How's this for turn around? ;)

• 2 oz Nutliqour Peanut Butter Liqueur
• 2 oz Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka
• 2 oz Half & Half
• Brown Sugar
• Salted Shelled Peanut

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Wet the glass edge and rim it with the brown sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass. With a serrated knife, saw a slot into the shelled peanut. Garnish by hanging the peanut on the glass edge.

Blue Diesel Martini

Here's a high octane martini that seems to have the sweet/bitter aroma of a machine shop, thanks mostly to the tequila and Jack Daniels. To keep that feel and make it more palatable, coconut rum and orange flavors are used to create a drink that's masculine and delicious. If it were edible, I think I'd rim the glass with black tractor grease. ;)

• 2 oz Silver Tequila
• 2 oz Jack Daniels
• 1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
• 1 oz Blue Curacao
• Black Olives

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with skewered black olives. For extra flair, use a long thin stainless steel hex bolt as the skewer.

Passionné Martini

This cocktail would probably work just as well with Smirnoff's Passion Fruit vodka, but the rum tends to be a little sweeter and I think has more flavor than the latter. Also, the vanilla vodka really helps the subtle passion fruit flavor to shine. Mixing a fruit with vanilla lends to a very sweet drink, so the sweet/sour taste of the X-Rated helps balance that out. The Hum adds a nice spicy ginger finish, but be careful! It's very overpowering — only the smallest splash is needed.

• 3 oz Malibu Passion Fruit Rum
• 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz X-Rated Passion Liqueur
• Splash of Hum Botanical Liqueur
• 1 Passion Fruit

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Cut one third off the end of the passion fruit and reserve for garnish. Scoop the remaining seeds and jelly into a shaker. Add the liquid ingredients with ice and shake until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish by floating the reserved passion fruit end in the drink.

Double Entendre Martini

Ever since reading Neil Gaiman's, "Anansi Boys", I've had the idea of a cocktail based on the drink in the primary character's dream. Especially after Molly suggested I should name one of my martinis after it. If you haven't read the book, here's the relevant excerpt:

"...He instructed the barman in the preparation of a cocktail he called the "Double Entendre" which, while it seemed to begin with a base of champagne, he explained was actually scientifically nonalcoholic. It contained a splash of this and a splash of that until it went a vivid purple color..."

Alongside this, I've also discovered the beauty of the Aviation cocktail. Basically it's a gin martini flavored lightly with violet and maraschino. So, let's combine the two and re-imagine the Aviation — keeping the base flavors, but making it unique. Now the purple drink has the same base flavors, but carries other tastes along with it, as well as having a "splash of this and a splash of that." ;) Screw the nonalcoholic part, after all this is a martini. We need a unique and delicious purple cocktail that implies more than it's parts.

So, the following is my interpretation...

• 3 oz Square One Botanical Vodka
• 1 oz Creme De Cassis
• 1 oz Creme Yvette
• 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• Maraschino Cherry

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish by dropping a maraschino cherry into the bottom.

Drunk Monk Martini

Soju is a Korean spirit that's similar to vodka, but is sweeter and has a smoother consistency. In this case, I've paired it with Pisa's amaretto-like liqueur to create an eastern themed cocktail with vanilla and almond flavors but with unique ingredients. Disaronno is similar to Pisa and could be substituted if you can't find it, but Pisa is more syrupy and flavorful.

• 3 oz Ty-Ku Soju
• 2 oz Pisa Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka
• Splash of Malibu Coconut Rum
• Cinnamon Stick

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with the cinnamon stick.

Skol Martini

For some time, I've had the concept of a purple and yellow martini to name after my favorite football team. Maybe all the Minnesota Vikings need to succeed this year is an inspirational cocktail. Right? Either way, here's a purple cocktail with a lemon Viking horn. (It really is a nice deep team colored purple, it's just hard to tell against the black photography backdrop.)

Skol Vikings!

• 3 oz Absolut Currant
• 2 oz Creme De Cassis
• 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
• Splash of Lemon Juice
• Lemon Peel

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with the lemon peel carved into the iconic Viking's horn.

Preston Martini

Although I never saw my father drink anything but cans of Coke, I've been told his favorite cocktail was the Greyhound. Without knowing that, I am also inclined to order a Greyhound with gin when I'm out. I enjoy that he and I share this drink connection. So in his honor, I'm naming this grapefruit martini after him.

This drink is based on the classic Salty Dog, but as a martini has much more alcohol without losing the familiar taste. And since I like mine with gin, the Sapphire gives the nice herbal edge I prefer.

• 3 oz Absolut Ruby Red Vodka
• 2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
• 1 oz Red Grapefruit Juice
• Salt
• Sugar
• Slice of Grapefruit

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Wet the glass edge with the grapefruit and rim it with a 1 to 4 mixture of salt and sugar. Add the liquid ingredients and shake with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with the grapefruit slice.

Saigon Kick Martini

I've recently discovered the dark red botanical spirit, Hum. It's flavor is strong and sharp and has a very unique herbal/ginger flavor. A little bit goes a long way and in this case, the coconut milk helps tone down the sharpness a bit. I'd describe it as sweet coconut with a ginger bite.

• 1 oz Hum Botanical Liqueur
• 2 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
• 1 oz Peach Schnapps
• 2 oz Coconut Milk
• Splash of Grenadine 
• Pickled Ginger Slices

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake all liquid ingredients except the grenadine with ice in a shaker until it sweats and strain into the glass. Garnish with a skewer of pickled ginger slices and a drizzle of grenadine into the center.

Honey Badger Martini

Honey Badger don't give a sh*t! 'Bout nothin'! Not even this martini...

I stumbled across a cocktail challenge where people needed to create something tasty and drinkable using only mini bottles and ingredients found in a particular store - "the Bodega Challenge." One was called the Honey Badger and I thought it was a mighty clever martini name. So here's my version using only the honey and Jack Daniels from the original and then improving from there...

• 2 oz Jack Daniels
• 2 oz Hennessy Cognac
• 1/2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1 oz Honey
• Splash Lemon Juice
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Barbeque Sauce

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Rim the glass with barbeque sauce. Shake the other ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass.

Shamrock Martini

In a moment of inspiration, I decided to try a combination of melon schnapps and honey. The taste becomes quite unique and ends up not tasting like either. In fact, it's almost "grassy" flavored. I like it! Although I'm tempted to add something to cut the sweetness a bit, I think I'll let this one be very simple and leave well enough alone.

Given the upcoming St. Patrick's Day and the lovely green color of the drink, this cocktail names itself. And given the flavor, it seems to taste very much like how you'd imagine a sweet clover shamrock to taste. :)

• 3 oz Vodka
• 2 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
• 1 oz Barenjager Honey Liqueur
• Green Sugar Crystals

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Wet the glass edge and rim it with the sugar crystals. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of sugar crystals over the top.

Baked Potato Martini

I'm hardly the first to create a potato martini, (usually just potato vodka and a garlic stuffed olive), but I have taken the basic and brought it up a level. After tasting just iced potato vodka with a splash of vermouth, I played a bit with other additions to bring out the potato flavor and create a smoother vodka martini. The bit of salt helps here as does the nice smoky thick flavor of the Bakon vodka. Here's the result.

It actually tastes very much like a baked potato sans the sour cream and cheese. ;) Maybe all it needs is a few bacon bits and a couple of chives. Next time...

• 4 oz Potato Vodka (Luksusowa in this case)
• 1/2 oz Bakon Vodka
• 1/4 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 of a Garlic Clove, Crushed
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Blue Cheese stuffed Olive

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Add the vermouth to the glass, swirl, and toss out. Shake the vodkas, garlic, and salt with ice in a shaker until it sweats. Strain into the glass and garnish with the olive skewered in the drink.

Schwarzwald Martini

Named for the infamous Black Forest Cherry Cake the region is known for, this martini captures those flavors without being too overly sweet. Even if the German dessert is utterly rich and decadent.

• 2 oz Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur
• 2 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
• 2 oz Effen Black Cherry Vodka
• Dark Chocolate
• Maraschino Cherry

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake all liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats and strain into the glass. Garnish with shavings of dark chocolate and a cherry on the rim.