Does being halfway through the week justify celebrating with a cocktail? I vote yes! I actually made this martini last week and would kill for one at the moment. I'm currently in the middle of most stressful move of my life. We ended up needing our carpets replaced which put a huge delay on our moving progress. Naturally the carpet guys who were supposed to show up Monday showed up... just now. Trust me, if I remembered which box I packed my shaker in I would already be sipping on one of these bad boys!
This cocktail brings together a delicious blend of Grey Goose Cherry Noir, Disaronno, lemon, mint, and vanilla-bean infused simple syrup for a very fresh and slightly sweet taste. I'm usually not a fan of flavored vodkas, especially cherry flavored (cherry bomb college flashbacks anyone?) However, Grey Goose naturally flavors their vodkas for a more subtle flavor as opposed to some lesser expensive brands which use stronger artificial flavoring. If you're unfamiliar with Disaronno it is amaretto/almond flavored Italian liqueur.
To make the vanilla-bean infused simple syrup, split a vanilla bean lengthwise into halves. Bring one cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 ½ cups sugar and the vanilla bean and turn down heat to a simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and simmer for a few minutes. Let cool and place in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours but preferably overnight. You can store whatever you don't use in the fridge for a week.
Once you have your simple syrup, add 0.5 oz to a shaker along with 0.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice. Next add 1.5 oz Cherry Noir and 1.0 oz Disaronno. Muddle one mint leaf in the mixture then add ice, shake, and serve up in a martini glass! For garnish, take a mint leaf and slap it in between your hands. I swear I'm not crazy. This releases the smell of the mint. Place is on top of your martini and when you take a sip that fresh mint smell will immediately hit your nose. Cheers!
- 0.5 oz vanilla-bean infused simple syrup (1 vanilla bean, 1 cup water, 1½ cups sugar)
- 0.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1.5 oz Grey Goose Cherry Noir
- 1.0 oz Disaronno
- Fresh mint leaves
- Prepare vanilla bean-infused simple syrup: Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Add vanilla bean and sugar and turn down to simmer. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Simmer about 3-5 minutes. Let cool and place in refrigerator for at least a couple hours (overnight is best). Makes about 1 cup.
- Add simple syrup, lemon juice, vodka, Disaronno, and a mint leaf to a shaker.
- Muddle the mint leaf slightly.
- Add ice, shake, and strain up in a martini glass.
- Garnish with a slapped mint leaf.
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