Classic Lychee Martini Recipe

Jun 21, 2023

Fruit-flavored martinis have been a thing at least since the '90s, heyday of the appletini, but a lychee martini is something a little less familiar. Recipe developer Jessica Morone says this drink is "light and fruity and tropical," something she feels makes it "the perfect cocktail for the ... spring/summer season," but she does note that since it's made with canned fruit it can actually be a year-round thing.

In order to concoct this cocktail you will need to purchase a can of lychees, something you'll be able to find at an Asian grocery store if you can't find them at your usual supermarket. These fruits, says Morone, "have a sweet, floral flavor that some people describe as a cross between a grape and a watermelon." You'll only need a few of them, plus a little bit of the juice, to make a lychee martini, but Morone points out, "You can use the leftover fruit in lots of ways." Some of her suggestions include adding them to fruit salad, making lychee jam, or using them to garnish iced tea.

While Morone tells us, "I used canned lychees and canned lychee juice in this drink," she does say that you could use fresh lychees to flavor a homemade simple syrup if you wish. In addition to the lychees (both fruit and juice), you'll also need ice, vodka, dry vermouth, and lime juice.

Combine all of the ingredients except for the lychee fruit and gently stir to chill the drink. Why are we stirring, not shaking, as we do in so many cocktail recipes? It's because the martini is meant to be what foodies (or "drinkies," as it were) call "spirit-forward," meaning they're meant to taste as boozy as possible. Shaking a martini over ice tends to dilute it since agitating the ice will cause it to melt a bit.

Strain the drink into a chilled glass. A martini glass would be nice if you have such a thing, but your second choice could be a coupe or any other stemmed glass. Failing that, a rocks glass will work.

Take a toothpick or cocktail pick and stab it through two lychees, or even three if it's a long pick. Stick that in the glass as a garnish, then your lychee martini is ready to drink. If you feel it's a little too monochromatic, though, you could also add a twist of lime, something Morone recommends as " a really easy additional and colorful garnish."