Gold Rush Martini

Just in time for St. Patrick's Weekend, here's a pot of gold martini to celebrate with. Using Goldschläger in a "gold" martini is obvious, but I thought having Yukon as its base was clever too -- since it's where one of the gold rushes occurred.

Really this cocktail started with the purchase of the Rum Chata and thinking of ways to use it. The chai spice flavors of Rum Chata go very nicely with the cinnamon of the Goldschläger and so I started from there. This is definitely a sweeter dessert martini, but the Yukon and Drambuie help balance it and result in a delicious drink that packs a punch.

The garnish is a little over the top given the average price of real edible gold flakes is between $25 and $40 for a tiny shaker. In a pinch, you could definitely substitute gold colored sugar crystals.

• 1 oz Yukon Jack Whiskey
• 1 1/2 oz Rum Chata
• 1/2 oz Goldschläger Cinnamon Liqueur
• 1 oz Drambuie Honey Liqueur
• Edible Gold Flakes 

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Rim the glass with gold flakes. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a dusting of gold flakes.

Harvest Moon Martini

Halloween is past, but it isn't Thanksgiving yet. So having a pumpkin flavored harvest martini is still in season, right? In this case, I used homemade pumpkin infused vodka instead of the various pumpkin pie cream liqueurs out there. Besides, we've already done the Pumpkin Pie Martini here.

The pumpkin flavor is very subtle and easily overpowered - like cucumber or watermelon. So vanilla vodka is used to accentuate the sweetness of the pumpkin and the result is very much like a delicious Polish Żubrówka (or sweet grass vodka). The Kahlua and spiced rum add complexity and color without making it taste like another pumpkin pie martini. In the end, a wonderfully light cocktail that's not too sweet but has all the flavors of spiced pumpkin.

• 2 oz Pumpkin Infused Vodka (see below)
• 1 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 oz Spiced Rum
• Splash of Kahlua
• Cinnamon
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon Stick 

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Then rim the glass with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Shake all liquid ingredients with ice in a shaker until it sweats and strain into the glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Pumpkin Infused Vodka

A quick internet search results in many versions of this, but they all use a variety of spices in the mix. I tried that first and found that the cinnamon/clove flavor way over powered the light pumpkin and tasted more like spiced vodka than anything else. I decided that the spice flavor could easily be added after the fact and went for just pure pumpkin vodka.

It's absolutely delicious on its own with many subtle flavors completely lost otherwise. The starch and sugars in the pumpkin dissolve into the vodka and thicken it similar to Kahlua or Żubrówka.

• small pie pumpkin (or sugar pumpkin)
• vodka 

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the innards.
2. Dice the pumpkin into small cubes (without the rind) and fill a canning jar.
3. Add vodka to the jar until full.
4. Place out of sunlight in a cool place for at least a week. The longer the better.
5. Strain the vodka thru a fine mesh into a bottle.

Dead Presidents Martini

This drink has been in the works for a while, as I tried pairing Midori with other flavors to cut its sweetness. Citrus does that effectively and changes the melon flavor altogether. Almost minty, the result tastes vaguely like what brand new American paper money smells like. And so the "money" martini is born. I'll thank Molly once again for coming up with the clever name.

• 2 oz Pear Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• Lemon 

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and two "coins" punched from the rind.

Salted Caramel Martini

I figure my mom ought to enjoy this martini being this is one of her favorite treats. Probably a little too alcoholic though. ;)

Using the Karamel Vodka is a no brainer, but butterscotch and vanilla liqueurs are used to flush out the flavor. The Kahlua adds a nice touch of color to the cocktail.

• 3 oz Sobieski Karamel Vodka
• 1 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1/2 oz Spiced Rum
• Splash of Kahlua
• Rock Salt
• Sugar
• 1 Salted Caramel

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Rim the glass with a 50/50 mix of crushed salt and sugar. Shake the liquid ingredients with ice until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with the caramel candy.

Thyme Warp Martini

I've thought the name "Thyme Warp" was quite clever for a while and after discovering Farigoule, I was close to finding a mixture worthy of the title.

Although I started with pear vodka (which was very nice), I feel the more delicate flavor of the Absolut Gräpevine added a nice fruity flavor and highlighted the thyme better without overpowering it. It also keeps the drink from being too sweet - as does the ginger. Over all it's a nice delicate cocktail with a strong herbal thyme finish.

• 3 oz Absolut Gräpevine Vodka
• 2 oz Domain de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 1 oz Farigoule Thyme Liqueur
• 4 Sprigs of Thyme

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Strip two sprigs of thyme into a shaker and shake with the liquid ingredients with ice until it sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with two more sprigs of thyme.

Iguana Martini

It's been a while, but certainly the cocktail experimentation goes on. ;)

This martini was inspired by the thought of using avocado and tequila together in some sort of Southwesternish drink. I tried quite a few combinations which were basically melon margaritas with avocado added. In the end, I decided the flavors were right, but it took a lot of tweaking with ratios to find the right balance. The right amounts are critical in this cocktail to prevent it from becoming too citrusy or just an avocado sludge. But get it right, and you have yourself a delicious cool summer imbibement that tastes like a liqueured up gazpacho.

• 1 1/2 oz Silver Tequila
• 2 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• Splash of Lime Juice
• 1 Tsp Wasabi Paste
• 1/6 Ripe Avocado (~2 Tbsp)
• Avocado Slice

Chill an up glass with crushed ice and water. Puree the 1/6 of avocado and wasabi with the liquid ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake until the shaker sweats. Strain into the glass. Garnish with a slice of avocado.

Cheeseburger Martini

Like a deconstructed foodie dish, this cocktail incorporates cheeseburger flavors into a Bloody Mary-esque martini. The idea started when a fellow bartender brought up the cheeseburger shot: one shot each of tequila, tomato juice, and then pickle juice. I thought, "I bet I could make that drinkable in one glass..."

After experimenting with the basic shot, the pickle juice was overpowering and I thought the base needed something more burger-like. Enter Bakon vodka. With a bit of Worcestershire, it rounded out nicely into something reminiscent of a McDonald's basic cheeseburger. Like the Horseradish Beef Martini, it's probably not for everyone, but it's a fun gimmicky escape from the average martini.


I recommend a beer back as it helps meld the flavors and brings the yeasty flavor of the cheeseburger bun into the mix. :)

• 2 oz Tequila
• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Bakon Vodka
• 1/2 oz Tomato Juice
• Splash of Pickle Juice
• 5 to 6 Drops of Worcestershire Sauce
  
• Sesame Seeds
• Cube of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  

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. Garnish with the cube of cheese and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

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.