Cooking Lesson #547: Berry Merry Christmas Martini

…from the Perspectives’  Holiday Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? I’m a sucker for red cocktails around Christmastime. You can save this recipe for one of the last 12 Days of Christmas… of course, you can mix one up now just to test it out 😉.
 
A Berry Merry Christmas Martini is one of those cocktails, that you can serve either martini style or on the rocks like a fizz, cooler or spritzer. I served as a Martini which is obviously a little stronger since there’s less club soda in it. If you want to put it in a tall glass with ice you can do that as well.  Just add everything except club soda to a shaker, shake and pour into a tall glass with ice, then top it off with as much club soda as you want.
 
The Berry Merry Christmas Martini gets its berry flavor from Chambord, a raspberry liqueur. I also add a bit of grenadine to really make it red. I love a berry/lemonade combo so consider adding a little Limoncello to the mix.  It’s a really great combination! If you don’t have Limoncello you can squeeze some lemon juice in the cocktail. It will be a bit less sweet but you can sweeten it up by adding a little more grenadine.
 
You can dress up the presentation by rimming the glass with some of those pretty silver, gold and multi-colored sugar sprinkles. If you can’t find them, regular sugar will do.  And since it’s Christmastime, add a sprig of mint (mistletoe doesn’t work) to garnish the cocktail to add some green. This cocktail will merry-up your holiday table with the red and green colors… and bright rosy cheeks.
 
We hope everyone gets to enjoy some quality family time and that Santa brings you lots of goodies this year. We wish you all a post-pandemic Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with my Berry Merry Christmas Martini.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
1 ounce shot vodka (I prefer Absolute)
1 ounce shot Chambord
1/2 ounce shot Limoncello
1/4 ounce shot Grenadine
Club soda
Garnish with a mint sprig, whole raspberries or even a candy cane
 
Directions

1. Combine the vodka, Chambord, Limoncello, Grenadine and 1 ounce shot of club soda in cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake it like you mean it.
3. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
4. Garnish with whole raspberries, mint sprig and maybe even a red-striped candy cane

ChefSecret:  If you’d like to have this drink in a tall glass on the rocks, just shake the liquors together in a shaker, pour over a glass filled with ice and top off with club soda.

Quip of the Day: “Did you know an unspoken superstition deems that an even number of olives in a martini is bad luck? Like avoiding a black cat in an alleyway, most seasoned bartenders will only serve Martinis with one or three olives (never two or four).”
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Martini #BerryMerryMartini #Vodka #Chambord #Limoncello #Grenadine  #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
​
                                                    ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

---