Cherry Martini
Inside: The drunken cherry vodka that makes it red · frozen vs. fresh cherries (and how fast each works) · shaken or stirred · black cherry, tart cherry and Italian variations.
A cherry martini is cherry vodka and a splash of dry vermouth, shaken ice cold and garnished with cherries. How you get the cherry vodka is up to you:
- Best: the vodka from a jar of my Drunken Cherries. It’s already sweetened, deep red, and the cherries become the garnish. Whole fresh cherries take about two weeks.
- Faster: start the jar with frozen cherries. The vodka turns red within hours and is ready in about a week.
- Tonight: store-bought cherry vodka. Taste it first; unsweetened brands need a splash of simple syrup.
A classic martini is usually made with gin or vodka, vermouth and a twist of lemon. Serve it ice cold (shaken or stirred) and sip it from a martini or coupe glass. Though my cherry martini is definitely a departure from the traditional, I’m certainly not the first person to take liberties with the recipe (see my Creamy Espresso Martini with Baileys and this Lychee Martini).
Martini recipes are as individual as the person sipping them
James Bond, the famous spy from Ian Fleming’s novels, preferred Vesper Martinis (a drink described in the 1953 novel, Casino Royale) made with three parts Gordon’s, one part vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet.
Ernest Hemingway preferred The Montgomery with a 15:1 ratio of gin to vermouth.
The Hollywood film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock also liked his martinis very dry, with just “one short glance at a bottle of vermouth”.
And Johnny Carson cleverly quipped, “Happiness is finding two olives in your martini when you’re hungry.”
Dirty and extra-dirty martinis have a dose of olive brine, which, some argue, masks the taste of the alcohol. But if you’re a rookie martini drinker, that might be a good thing.
For those just dipping their toes into icy martini waters, my lip-smacking blood orange martini is another good option, as is this gorgeous cherry martini. It’s not as dry, has a floral quality, and comes with two drunken cherries for snacking.
This fruity variation on a traditional martini is a natural extension of my drunken cherries recipe, a simple sugar-and-alcohol fruit-preserving method. I pack clean jars with cherries and granulated sugar, then fill them with Tito’s vodka.
We make this every summer when the cherries are super sweet and juicy. I usually munch through the soused fruit by the end of September, but the leftover cherry-infused vodka doesn’t go to waste.
The secret ingredient for cherry martinis
Instead of straight vodka, I use the cherry-infused vodka left over from a jar of drunken cherries. It’s a happy by-product, and it’s what turns these martinis ruby red. A small canning jar yields about ½ to ¾ cup of infused vodka, enough for about two martinis. Hosting a crowd? Make a bigger jar, or two.
Fresh or frozen cherries?
Whole fresh cherries hold their shape, so they make the prettier garnish, but they need about two weeks to give up their color. Frozen cherries are already cut, so they start tinting the vodka within 3 to 24 hours, and the jar is done in about a week. The tradeoff is texture: frozen cherries soak up the vodka and turn very soft.
My rule: fresh in summer, when the cherries need to look good on the pick, and frozen when you want martinis by the weekend (or it’s December).
No time to make them? Store-bought cherry vodka works in a pinch. I list a few red-tinted options in the FAQs.
What you’ll need for cherry martinis
- Cherry-Infused Vodka from Drunken Cherries
- Dry Vermouth (preferably Noilly Prat)
- Extra Vodka-Soaked Cherries (for garnish, optional)
- Lemon Curl or Twist (optional)
You’ll notice that I don’t add any extra vodka to the cocktail. It’s strictly the leftover cherry-infused vodka.
What is vermouth?
Vermouth is a fortified wine with alcohol added to increase the alcohol level. Aromatic blends of herbs, spices and even roots are infused into the mix to produce a complex arrangement of flavors. Vermouth can be sweet or dry; flavors range from floral to spicy, and from winy to sour.
Even though I used extra-dry vermouth for these cherry martinis, it still lends a subtle sweetness to the ruby-red drink.
How to make a cherry martini
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the cherry-infused vodka and vermouth and seal the cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain the red martini into a cocktail glass.
Is it better to shake or stir a martini?
Personally, I prefer my cocktails shaken, but the goal is to chill the drink well, and you can do it either way.
Shaking a martini in a traditional cocktail shaker for 30 seconds breaks up big chunks of ice and mixes the ingredients well. The vigorous agitation chills the ingredients thoroughly.
Similarly, you can fill a glass with ice and add the ingredients. Stir well with a cocktail spoon for about 30 seconds, until the spirits are well chilled, then strain them into a coupe or martini glass. You don’t want any ice shards in the cherry martini.
The cherry-infused vodka isn’t overly sweet, so it doesn’t bulldoze this red drink with a candy-like intensity. Instead, it’s a sophisticated sipper, as a martini should be.
Garnish with extra drunken cherries for nibbling and a pretty lemon curl.
Invite a few of your girlfriends over on a Friday night to catch up and sip a few of these bright red martinis. I usually put out a bowl of the drunken cherries to nibble on too. It’s a boozy good time with friends, and I highly recommend it!
Cherry martini variations:
- Black cherry martini: make the drunken cherries with black cherries
- Tart or sour cherry martini: add ½ oz tart cherry juice and a squeeze of lemon
- Italian cherry martini: swap the vermouth for amaretto, garnish with Amarena cherries
- Maraschino cherry martini: a barspoon of Luxardo maraschino liqueur
- Cherry vanilla: use vanilla vodka in the cherry jar.
Cherry Martini FAQ’s
A cherry martini, of course. Classic gin martinis get an olive or a twist; the cherry garnish traditionally belongs to the Manhattan.
Cherry flavors go well with vodka, bourbon, amaretto, brandy or kirsch.
You can make a quicker version and start a jar with frozen cherries; it’s red in a few hours. Or try commercially sold cherry vodkas; some, like UV Red Cherry Vodka, Au Vodka Red Cherry and Pearl Cherry Vodka, carry that signature red hue. You may need to add a bit of simple syrup for sweetness, depending on the brand. Some already have sweeteners added, so taste first.
Grocery store maraschino cherries aren’t the best option for this drink. Instead, look for Amarena or Luxardo cherries for your red martini. Stir some of the syrup into the vodka as well.
Lemon and tart cherry juice bump up the tart factor in this style of martini.
Garnish with extra drunken cherries, a lemon or orange twist, or a whole star anise in the drink. (Star anise is used in making vermouth.)
More red drinks, martinis and cocktails you might like:
Change up the standard martini glass (below) for a themed option for Halloween festivities, and this drunken cherry martini will take on a bloody new effect!
Cherry Martini
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- cocktail shaker
- cocktail picks
- measuring jigger
INGREDIENTS:
FOR EACH CHERRY MARTINI:
- 2 ½ ounces vodka from the jar of Drunken Cherries
- ½ ounce dry vermouth we like Noilly Pratt
- 2 Drunken Cherries
- twist of lemon
DIRECTIONS:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in 2 ½ ounces vodka from the jar of Drunken Cherries and ½ ounce dry vermouth.
- Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until the outside of the shaker is icy cold.
- Strain the cherry martini into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with twist of lemon and 2 Drunken Cherries, skewered on a pick.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy. Values are calculated automatically based on the ingredients and quantities in each recipe and may vary depending on specific brands, exact measurements, and substitutions made. For precise nutritional guidance, especially if you have a medical condition or dietary restriction, please consult a registered dietitian or run the ingredients through your own nutrition calculator.Pin “Drunken Cherry Martini” for later!
How much vodka/ cherries to get the best taste?
It will depend on the size of your jar. You can use pints or quarts. Pack it full with the cherries, then add sugar until it fills one third of the jar (eyeball it), and finally, fill the jar completely with the vodka.
Awesome thank you. Please tell me where I can find those skull martini glasses. I can’t live without them
The coolest martini skull glass ever. Where can I get one?
This drink made this years Halloween the best one yet!