Since I moved from New York to LA, my husband and I have made it an annual tradition to host a Friendsgiving dinner the week of Thanksgiving. Inspired by my sister who started her own tradition of serving David Chang’s Momofuku Bossam at her annual Thanksgiving dinner (one day of turkey is enough, no?), we decided to follow suit. It’s become a fan favorite meal that we look forward to pretty much all year long and I’ll share more on that recipe in another post.
This post, however, is about that drink that we serve alongside it…
The many years I spent working in NYC nightlife come in quite handy for lots of reasons, and at the top of that list is playing bartender when I’m entertaining guests at home. Among the many things I love about entertaining at home, serving a perfectly curated cocktail alongside a delicious meal is at the top of my list. I first came up with my Lychee Martini recipe because I wanted to find the perfect cocktail to accompany the aforementioned Asian feast. One of my besties suggested a Lychee Martini would be a nice choice, so I embarked on a mission to craft the perfect Lychee Martini that was fresh, balanced and not too sweet.
After trying quite a few recipes and making about a dozen test batches, I finally came up with my version of the perfect Lychee Martini. Fresh, balanced and not too sweet. But I’ll leave that to you to decide…
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 ounces of good quality vodka (I like Chopin or Belvedere)
- ½ ounce of Elderflower liqueur (Saint Germain is the most obvious choice)
- 4 lychee fruits (from a can- you can buy these at an Asian grocery store or Amazon)
- 1 ounce of juice from the can of lychees
- 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
- Ice
Instructions:
Add 2 of the lychee fruits to a cocktail shaker and muddle into a puree. In the same tin, add the vodka, Elderflower liqueur, Lychee juice and fresh lemon juice. Add about a cup of ice and shake the cocktail 10-20 times to chill the drink and incorporate the ingredients. Garnish a martini glass with a cocktail pick skewered with the remaining two lychee fruits as a garnish. Strain the drink over the lychee fruit in the martini glass and enjoy!
May you enjoy this drink and share it with everyone you love in gratitude.
x0,
Tara
