Cherry Martini
This cherry martini blends sweet cherry syrup with a hint of almond, along with crisp vodka to bring you a gorgeous drink that goes down a treat!
The star in this cocktail is the addition of a homemade cherry simple syrup. It is super easy to make with just water, sugar, and cherries (fresh or frozen.) Once you have made it, the syrup can also be used in all sorts of other cherry cocktails (like a cherry gin sour!) and mocktails. I always add almond extract to my cherry syrup because it naturally enhances the delicate flavor of cherry perfectly since cherries and almonds are botanically related.
Homemade cherry syrup
You can use sweet cherries or tart cherries. If you use fresh cherries, there’s no need for a cherry pitter. Keep the whole cherry pits there too. They will bring great flavor when simmered and steeped.
Here is the link to make the cherry simple syrup.
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.
Find the full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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
- Always pre-chill your martini glass.
- You could add a sugar rim to the glass for some texture and extra sweetness.
- Feel free to change the amount of cherry syrup to your taste.
More cherry drinks
Cherry Martini
This cherry martini blends sweet cherry syrup with a hint of almond, along with crisp vodka to bring you a gorgeous drink that goes down a treat!
Ingredients
Cherry Simple Syrup
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cherries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Cherry Martini
- 2oz (60ml) vodka
- 1 oz (30ml) cherry simple syrup
- 0.5oz (15ml) lemon juice
- Ice cubes
- Fresh or maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
Cherry syrup:
- Combine cherries, a cup sugar, a cup water, lemon juice, and almond extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Give it a good stir and allow the sugar to dissolve.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sugar mixture boil. After that, reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Feel free to mash the cherries a bit as you stir.
- Switch off the heat and let the cherries steep in the syrup until it reaches room temperature.
- Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a bowl and pour the cherry mixture into it. To achieve an extra clear syrup, you can use a cloth. Let the cherry syrup drain.
- Allow the cherry simple syrup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container or mason jar for storage.
Cherry martini
- 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
Optional Cherry Liqueur
Add a 1/2 an ounce (15ml) of cherry liqueur to the mix for an extra cherry kick. It will give the drink a bit more cherry flavor but note that it enhance the sweetness, too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g
