Tomatini Recipe

Prepare tomatoes

Core and roughly chop tomatoes. Place in a blender with 1/4 cup cold water and 1/4 tsp salt.

Pulse/blend on low for 20–30 seconds until tomatoes are broken down but not fully liquefied; goal is to extract clear tomato-flavored liquid, not pulpy juice.

Pour blended tomatoes into a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a double layer of fine muslin set over a bowl. Let drain for 30–45 minutes at room temperature, pressing gently once with the back of a spoon to extract more liquid. Do not force through pulp — you want a very clear tomato water.

Transfer strained tomato water to a clean container and chill. This yields about 6–10 oz depending on tomatoes; use 1 oz per Tomatini. Tomato water can be kept refrigerated up to 3 days.

Chill a martini glass by filling it with ice water while you mix the cocktail, or place it in the freezer for 5–10 minutes.

Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice (about 1 cup).

Add 2.5 oz vodka, 1 oz chilled tomato water, 0.5 oz fresh tomato juice, 0.25 oz dry vermouth, 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.25 tsp simple syrup, 2 dashes celery bitters, a pinch of salt, and a single grind of freshly ground black pepper to the shaker.

Stir (not shake) the mixture briskly with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. Stirring preserves the silky clarity of the Tomatini.

Dump the ice water from the chilled martini glass and strain the cocktail through a fine strainer into the glass to remove any remaining small ice chips.

Garnish with a thin tomato slice floated on the surface and a micro basil leaf or small basil leaf for aroma. If desired, lightly grate a tiny bit of black pepper over the top.

Serve immediately.