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Cocktail History
The Mistletoe Martini is a Christmas cocktail that was created in 2022 by Kimberly Salem, recipe developer and blogger at Charming Cocktails based in Long Island, New York. The recipe, which is a spruced up holiday-inspired version of the Martini template, calls for the classic’s mixture of gin and vermouth, but it adds spiced cranberry syrup and cranberry liqueur for tartness. This variation also swaps out dry gin for blackcurrant flavor to give it more complexity.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Blackcurrant Gin: This is a spirit made with blackcurrant gin, juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used La Crosse Distilling Company Christmas Gin.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry.
Spiced Cranberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberries, baking spices, white sugar and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.
Cranberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cranberries, sugar, and alcohol. I used Tattersall Distilling Cranberry Liqueur.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. I used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an herb. I used fresh rosemary.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Dark red color
• Aroma: Savory rosemary and fruit
• Taste: Fruity flavor with strong herbal gin notes
• Finish: Deep blackcurrant and tart cranberry
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “This is far more sophisticated than most Christmas drinks I like, but I have to give this one credit. It’s delicious and still remarkably palatable for how boozy it is. I also really enjoyed the spiced cranberry syrup; it’s much more complex than just cranberry syrup, and it adds some extra baking spice flavor that really takes this recipe to the next level. The Mistletoe Martini is definitely worth a reshake if you’re a serious imbiber who still wants something festive this season!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Charming Cocktails, a beverage recipe blog.
Mistletoe Martini
The Mistletoe Martini is a Christmas cocktail that was created in 2022 by Kimberly Salem, recipe developer and blogger at Charming Cocktails based in Long Island, New York. The recipe, which is a spruced up holiday-inspired version of the Martini template, calls for the classic’s mixture of gin and vermouth, but it adds spiced cranberry syrup and cranberry liqueur for tartness. This variation also swaps out dry gin for blackcurrant flavor to give it more complexity.
Ingredients
Method
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Add gin, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry syrup, cranberry liqueur, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
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Stir for 30-45 seconds.
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Strain into a martini glass.
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Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
