Lychee Martini Recipe

Drain and reserve

Drain 4 canned lychees into a bowl, reserving the syrup. Set the lychees aside for garnish or blend later.

Optional quick gelatin clarification

If you want a clear, silky lychee syrup, bloom 1 tsp gelatin in 1 tbsp cold water for 3 minutes. Warm gently (do not boil) until dissolved. Combine the reserved lychee syrup with the dissolved gelatin, stir to combine, then refrigerate until the gelatin sets (about 1–2 hours). Once set, cut the gel into cubes and place in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl; let gravity slowly drain for 1–2 hours or press gently to collect the clarified liquid. Refrigerate clarified syrup until needed.

No-gel clarification (quick alternative)

If you prefer not to use gelatin, strain the reserved syrup through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth overnight in the fridge to remove pulp and cloudiness. This yields a clearer lychee juice/syrup suitable for the cocktail.

Measure clarified syrup

Measure out 0.75 oz of the clarified lychee syrup for each cocktail and reserve 0.25 oz clarified lychee juice for additional aroma/balance if desired.

Chill: Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Combine ingredients: In a cocktail shaker add 2.5 oz Belvedere Organic Vodka, 0.75 oz clarified lychee syrup, 0.25 oz clarified lychee juice, 0.25 oz fresh lime juice, 0.125 tsp rose water, and 0.25 oz simple syrup (only if you prefer a sweeter drink).

Add lime oil: Add 3 drops of fresh lime oil (or express the oil from a lime peel over the shaker and rub the peel on the rim) to capture bright citrus aromatics.

Ice and shake: Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup), cap it, and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.

Double strain: Discard the ice from your chilled glass. Double strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or martini glass to remove any tiny ice chips and particulate from the clarified syrup.

Garnish: Skewer one of the reserved canned lychees (or a fresh canned lychee that was held back) on a pick and float it in the glass. Optionally place an edible rose petal on the surface or lightly spray a hint of rose water on the top (avoid overdoing rose water — it’s potent).

Serve: Present immediately while aromatic. Advise drinker to enjoy the delicate lychee and rose aromatics with the clean vodka backbone.