When you think of enjoying pistachios, cocktails don't often come to mind. While pistachio ice cream and fluffy pistachio cake are scrumptious staples, you might feel like the pistachio martini comes out of left field. But this delightful, decadent recipe proves that everything's worth trying at least once.
How to Make a Pistachio Martini
This martini's star ingredient is the pistachio liqueur. It's what transforms a simple martini into a one-of-a-kind cocktail. Toss in enough limoncello to brighten up the flavors, and you've got a modern mixology marvel.
Ingredients
- Lemon wedge and crushed pistachios for rim
- 1½ ounces pistachio liqueur
- 1 ounce vodka
- ½ ounce limoncello
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare the rim, rub a lemon wedge along the rim of a martini glass or coupe.
- With the crushed pistachios on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the pistachios to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, pistachio liqueur, vodka, and the limoncello.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lemon slice.
Transform this martini into a dessert cocktail by adding vanilla vodka and a creamier pistachio liqueur. Get your sweet tooth on by substituting the limoncello with white chocolate cream liqueur.
Related: Nutty Italian Coffee Cocktail to Chase Away the Chill
4 Variations and Substitutions to Try
When it comes to the pistachio martini, there's no industry standard recipe. This means you can get your amateur mixologist on and experiment with unique ingredient additions and substitutions.
- Add a few drops of cardamom, cherry, cranberry, lemon, orange, or peach bitters for a hint of complementary flavor.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of limoncello for a crisp flavor.
- Opt for silver or coconut rum instead of vodka as the base spirit for something a bit more tropical. You can still use limoncello but consider orange liqueur too.
- Include a splash of half-and-half to add a little creaminess.
Garnishes That'll Dress Things Up
There's no traditional garnish for the pistachio martini, so you're free to play and experiment with different options.
- Skip the rim if you don't want a crunchy sip.
- A lemon twist, peel, or coin gives a pop of color and a subtle citrus touch.
- If you use orange liqueur, emphasize the orange flavors by including orange in the garnish, be it a wheel, wedge, slice, peel, twist, or coin.
- Dehydrated citrus wheels are an unexpected topper for this martini, but they can add a captivating, darker look.
- Whipped cream, with or without crushed pistachios sprinkled on top, makes for an amusing garnish.
- Add a rosemary sprig for an herbaceous touch.
Don't Knock It Until You Try It
While pistachio may seem like the last flavor you'd expect to see in a martini, it's a treat you've got to try. Kiss the almond liqueurs and hazelnuts goodbye, and go for gold with this pistachio martini instead.
