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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. We used La Crosse Distilling Company Christmas Gin, but if you can’t find this specific gin, you can substitute another blackcurrant or cranberry-flavored gin. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin and Monin Non-Alcoholic Blackcurrant Syrup in place of the gin.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry because it has a light and airy flavor profile with notes of Alpine herbs. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth.
Spiced Cranberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberries, baking spices, white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Cranberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cranberries, sugar, and alcohol. We used Tattersall Distilling Cranberry Liqueur because it’s high quality and has a delicious tart flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Cranberry Syrup in place of the cranberry liqueur.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an herb. We used fresh rosemary from our herb garden.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We 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. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Tasting Notes
The Mistletoe Martini has savory rosemary aromas and a spicy, fruity flavor made up of strong herbal gin and accented with tart cranberry, all with a deep finish of blackcurrant and cranberry.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: The drink had a surprising sophistication, which impressed us both, and we both agreed that the Mistletoe Martini is an absolutely delicious booze-forward sipper perfect for this time of year.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This drink was a delicious take on a classic Martini, with added cranberry accents from the liqueur and special spiced syrup. I thought that element really took the recipe to the next level since a simple cranberry syrup would just add the berry’s tangy and bitter note without the complexity of the baking spices.”—
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!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Charming Cocktails, a beverage recipe blog.
Add gin, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry syrup, cranberry liqueur, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry syrup, cranberry liqueur, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin and Monin Non-Alcoholic Blackcurrant Syrup in place of the gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth, and Monin Premium Cranberry Syrup in place of the cranberry liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Cranberry Christmas Cocktails
If you like this cranberry-flavored Christmas cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Santa Baby: A sparkling wine cocktail made with cranberry liqueur and cranberries
Christmas Mimosa: A sparkling wine cocktail made with cranberry juice, orange curaçao, cranberries, and rosemary
Poinsettia Cooler: A tequila cocktail made with cranberry juice, cranberry shrub, lime juice, and cranberries
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, a mint sprig, and cranberries
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