Strawberry Vodka for a Strawberry Martini

Whether you like it shaken or stirred, it’s up to you. But we can all agree that a Strawberry Vodka Martini is one special cocktail.

I will state my usual disclaimer about alcohol. I honestly do not drink much of it. My husband is the alcohol aficionado, with his prized collection of liqueurs and wines. Most of the alcoholic drinks inspired on this blog are for him.

Me, on the other hand, I drink about 1 cocktail a month. Maybe not even THAT much. I don’t care for the taste of alcohol and it makes me sleepy and certainly not the life of a party.  I do like some cocktails, and I’m certainly fascinated to coming up with new and pretty drinks.

Perhaps a bartending class is in our future?

How to make strawberry vodka

Since I am on a roll with my strawberry recipes, I decided to try out one of my favorite techniques. Infusing vodka with fresh fruit. And this time I used strawberries. It’s nothing complicated and you can make any fruit infused alcohol using this same technique.

Fill a jar with chopped strawberries and fill the jar up with vodka. Pop it in the fridge and 3-7 days later you have this magenta-colored strawberry vodka. See, I told it was easy.

Best fruit for infused vodka

As with any meal you create, your dish will only be as good as the ingredients you use. High quality, big flavored ingredients will yield an incredible meal. The same is true with cocktails and infusing alcohol.

Whether you are using strawberries or any other fruit, be sure that you use fruits that are in season and full of flavor. If you use bland out-of-season strawberries, you will have a strawberry vodka that has very little berry flavor. So be sure to taste your berries before you use them to make strawberry vodka.

How to make a strawberry martini

“What’s in a martini?” I asked the hubby.

“Vodka,” was the answer.

“What else?”

“Vodka or Gin. Maybe Vermouth. That’s it.”

“You mean it’s straight up booze?”

“Yup”

“Yuck,” says I.

So the hubby proceeded to show me how to make a strawberry martini. He swirled the Vermouth into his glass then added the strawberry vodka.

“Mmmm… strawberries,” he sighed.

I took a sip.

“Yuck, too strong!”

Strawberry martini: shaken or stirred?

No, I am not a Martini drinker. So I did my research and sure enough, whether you choose vodka or gin as your base, this plus a bit of Vermouth and you have a Martini. And Martini-drinkers are very passionate about their drink, about the shaking versus stirring controversy I thought was only a line spoken in the James Bond movies.

Shaking your martini in a cocktail shaker supposedly dissolves the vermouth better. You also get a colder martini by shaking it, as well your cocktail having more air bubbles and is more diluted than its stirred counterparts. If you want a stiffer strawberry martini, then stir it.

There is much analysis about the damaging of the alcohol or too much oxygen or whatever it is that keeps “the shaken on one side and “the stirred” on the other. I will let you be the judge of that. I will stick with a bit of strawberry vodka and some club soda.

Do you drink Martini’s and do you shake or stir it?

Continue to Content

Yield: 8 oz strawberry vodka for 2 strawberry martinis

Strawberry Vodka for a Strawberry Martini

Print

Whether you like it shaken or stirred, it’s up to you. But we can all agree that a Strawberry Vodka Martini is one special cocktail.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 5 days

Total Time 5 days 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 8 oz vodka
• 1 oz vermouth

Instructions

1. In a 1-pint jar, fill with chopped strawberries.
2. Cover strawberries with vodka, seal jar and store in the refrigerator to infuse for 3-7 days. The longer the infusion, the more intense the strawberry flavor.
3. Strain out strawberries and discard. Your strawberry vodka is ready to use.
4. When vodka is ready, swirl 1 oz vermouth inside an a martini glass.
5. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 4 oz strawberry vodka.
6. Close the top of the cocktail shaker and shake until vodka is chilled, about 30 seconds, or if you prefer, stir for 15-20 seconds.
7. Strain out the chilled vodka into your prepared martini glass.
8. Garnish with a slice of strawberry and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1 glass
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g