Cherry Martini
This cherry martini is sweet and elegant. It combines vodka with homemade cherry syrup and a touch of lemon for a beautiful pink cocktail that’s easy to love. The almond undertone in the syrup makes the cherry flavor taste richer.
About this cherry martini
A cherry martini is a vodka cocktail made with cherry simple syrup and fresh lemon juice. It’s not a true martini in the classic sense (no vermouth here), but it belongs to the modern “fruit martini” family of shaken, slightly sweet cocktails served up in a chilled glass.
This recipe uses homemade cherry simple syrup, which does most of the heavy lifting. The syrup brings both sweetness and flavor, plus that gorgeous pink color. A small amount of lemon juice balances the sweetness and keeps it from being cloyingly sweet.
The secret ingredient in the cherry syrup is almond extract. Just a tiny bit. Cherries and almonds are botanically related (both in the prunus family), and they share flavor compounds. A touch of almond doesn’t make it taste like almonds; it makes the cherry taste more like itself.
How to make a cherry martini
- Shake vodka, lemon juice, and cherry simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a fresh cherry or a maraschino cherry on the rim.
Optional Cherry Liqueur
Add a small amount of cherry liqueur to the mix for an extra cherry kick. It will give the drink a bit more cherry flavor but enhance the sweetness, too.
Tips
- Chill your glass. Put the martini glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before making the drink. A cold glass keeps the cocktail cold longer since there’s no ice in the glass.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. If you prefer a less sweet drink, start with 3/4 oz (20 ml) syrup and taste before adding more. If you like it sweeter, go up to 1 1/4 oz (35 ml).
- Add a sugar rim for extra sweetness. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of the glass, then dip it in sugar. This adds texture and makes it feel more special.
- Use good cherries for garnish. Fresh sweet cherries look beautiful. If using jarred, Luxardo or Amarena cherries are worth the splurge over neon-red maraschinos.
Variations
- Cherry liqueur boost: Add 1/2 oz (15 ml) cherry liqueur (like Heering or Cherry Heering) for a more intense cherry flavor. Note that this also increases the sweetness.
- Cherry gin martini: Swap the vodka for gin. A London dry gin works nicely with the cherry.
More cherry cocktails
Cherry Martini
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz cherry simple syrup
- 0.5 oz lemon juice fresh
- Ice cubes
- Fresh or maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Shake vodka, lemon juice, and cherry simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with fresh or maraschino cherries on the rim.
Notes
- Chill your martini glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- For a stronger cherry flavor, add 1/2 oz (15 ml) cherry liqueur. This will also make the drink sweeter.
- Cherry simple syrup can be made ahead. Find the full recipe here.
