Vodka, sour apple pucker and lime juice come together in this tart cocktail. Garnish with green apple to get extra fancy. ...get the recipe
Fun Food Holidays™
June 18th, 2025 is National Martini Day
The martini is the Porsche of bar drinks. It is cool, clear and classy. It's for those who know what luxury is. I mean, if James Bond drinks them, then they must be top notch!
A good bartender will know that, if you order a "martini," it should be made with gin. That is a true martini. If you want vodka in your drink, you'll need to order a "vodka martini".
Even this classic drink comes with options though:
Shaken or stirred?
A shaken martini is made in a bar shaker with ice (then shaken until well chilled) which is then strained into a proper martini glass. A stirred martini is also made in a shaker, but it isn't shaken with the ice, a stirrer is used instead. We'll let you be the judge if there is a difference or not. James Bond seemed to think there was.
Dry or... not?
The amount of "dryness" is determined by the amount of vermouth used. We had a bartender one time merely wipe the inside of our martini glass with vermouth to give us a "dry martini".
Do you want olives with that?
Martinis can be garnished with olives, a twist, or cocktail onions. Olives are the most common though. And a good bartender will give you THREE olives. Not an even number, which is considered bad form (and bad luck in some cultures). The most basic olive is the green olive stuffed with a pimiento. Some bars have specialty olives that are stuffed with everything from garlic, to wasabi, to hot pepper, to beef!
And while we respect that some of the new fangled flavored "martinis" like the Appletini or Saketini are valid drinks, they aren't true martinis.
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Recipes to celebrate National Martini Day
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Appletini -
Double MartiniHaving a tough week? This martini is a double whammy made with both vodka and gin. ...get the recipe
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Green Tea MartiniAntioxidant-rich green tea is mixed with orange-flavored vodka, cointreau, and a little simple syrup for sweetness. ...get the recipe
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Chocolate Mint MartiniThis minty winter cocktail is made with vodka, creme de cacao, and creme de menthe. ...get the recipe
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Vodka MartiniA vodka twist on the classic martini. This is a "wet" martini with instructions on how to make it dry as well. Don't forget the olive garnish! ...get the recipe
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Chocolate Frangelico MartiniCheers! Vodka, frangelico, and creme de cacao make up this decadent but not overly sweet chocolate martini. ...get the recipe
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Caramel Apple Pie MartiniThis tasty cocktail is made with spiced vodka, sour apple schnapps, butterscotch schnapps, and amaretto, and garnished with a graham cracker crumb coating on the rim of the glass. ...get the recipe
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SaketiniA martini style drink made with vodka, sake, and a cucumber slice garnish. Cheers! ...get the recipe
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Gingerbread MartiniThis festive holiday cocktail is made with vanilla vodka, Frangelico, butterscotch schnapps, ginger beer, and rum (and garnished with gingerbread man cookies). ...get the recipe
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Strawberry MartiniMuddled strawberries with vodka and simple syrup combine for a martini that'll have you going back for seconds. And thirds. ...get the recipe
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Candy Cane MartiniCandy Cane Martini: The adult way to jingle your bells. Rum, peppermint schnapps, and just enough sweetness to keep you on the naughty list. ...get the recipe
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Asian Pear And Ginger MartiniAsian pears have a crisp, fresh, fruity apple flavor that pairs well with the warmth of the ginger syrup. If you can't get Asian pears you can substitute a bosc pear or crisp apple. ...get the recipe
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