Pistachio Martini Recipe

The Pistachio Martini is a dessert cocktail with a nutty aroma and a smooth, rich texture. Unlike the traditional Martini, which is clear and dry, this one pours a creamy pale green and comes out thick, sweet, and full-flavored, closer to eating ice cream than sipping a drink.

Prep Time: 5 min | Servings: 1 (about 5.5 oz / 160 ml)

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Tools Needed
• Steps
• Nutrition

Ingredients

• Vodka (2 oz / 60 ml): The base spirit. Plain vodka is all you need here. Its job is to bring the alcohol and keep the sweetness in check, and a clean spirit lets the pistachio come through. Vanilla vodka is common too and pushes the drink further toward dessert, though it does take some of the attention away from the pistachio.
• Pistachio cream liqueur (2 oz / 60 ml): Where the flavor and the color come from. It's already creamy and carries a fair amount of sugar, which is why this recipe doesn't call for syrup.
• Heavy cream (1/2 oz / 15 ml): Fills out the texture and makes the drink smoother and thicker. Half-and-half works too, though the result is lighter.
• Chopped pistachios and honey (optional, for the rim): The honey does the sticking, the pistachios bring aroma and texture. Use unsalted, shelled pistachios, and take off the thin reddish-brown skin along with the shell, or it'll add a dry, astringent edge.
• Ice (as needed): For shaking.

Contains dairy and nuts. Worth noting if you're serving anyone with allergies.

Tools Needed

• Jigger: For measuring the liquid ingredients so the ratios stay accurate.
• Shaker: For combining, chilling, and emulsifying the cream.
• Hawthorne strainer: For straining out the ice.
• Fine mesh strainer: For the double strain, catching ice shards and anything that didn't fully emulsify.

Steps

1. Put the Martini glass in the freezer for about 15 minutes beforehand.
2. Set the rim: run honey around the outside of the glass rim, then tilt the glass and roll it through the chopped pistachios.
3. Fill the shaker tin about three-quarters full with ice, then pour in the vodka, pistachio cream liqueur, and heavy cream. 
4. Seal it and shake hard for about 15 seconds, until the outside of the tin frosts over.
5. Strain into the chilled glass using a Hawthorne strainer with a fine mesh strainer for a double strain.

Nutrition (Estimated)