Looking to shake up an elegant Yuzu Martini?
Our refreshing Yuzu Martini recipe features premium vodka, honey yuzu lemonade and dry vermouth.
The simple yet sophisticated 3-ingredient drink is best enjoyed on a hot summer day, offering a blissful balance of Japanese citrus and cool vodka.
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What Is A Yuzu Martini?
Yuzu is a citrus fruit of East Asian origin.
It resembles a small grapefruit with uneven skin and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness.
In Japan, yuzu is a common ingredient in local cuisine, where the aromatic zest and the juice are used much in the same way that lemons are used in other cuisines. The yuzu’s flavour is tart and fragrant, closely resembling that of the grapefruit, with overtones of mandarin orange.
It is an integral ingredient in the citrus-based sauce ponzu, and yuzu vinegar is also produced. Yuzu is often combined with honey to make yuzu hachimitsu, a type of syrup that is used to make yuzu tea, or as an ingredient in cocktails such as the yuzu mojito.
There are many different ways you can make a Vodka Yuzu Martini at home. You simply need to use the core ingredients of the classic martini: vodka and dry vermouth.
Fresh yuzu can be hard to find so we like to use President’s Choice Honey Yuzu Lemonade. You can also use other yuzu flavoured cocktail mixers like Yuzu Juice, Yuzukko Lemonade, Fever-Tree Sparkling Lime & Yuzu or Yuzu Marmalade.
Ingredients
This refreshing Yuzu Martini recipe is best served in an elegant martini or coupe glass.
- Vodka: we suggest using a quality vodka like Absolut, Belvedere or Grey Goose.
- President’s Choice Honey Yuzu Lemonade: a store bought lemonade flavoured with yuzu that adds additional sweetness to the drink.
- Dry Vermouth: shake up the cocktail with a clear dry vermouth like Dolin or Martini. We used a local Niagara bottle produced by Tawse Winery.
Instructions
This yuzu vodka cocktail recipe is so easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes!
- PREPARE THE GLASS: Begin by preparing your cocktail glass. If desired, you can fill each martini glass with ice to ensure they are well chilled.
- POUR & SHAKE: Fill an ice-filled cocktail shaker with vodka, honey yuzu lemonade and dry vermouth. Shake for 30-45 seconds until well chilled.
- GARNISH & SERVE: Pour into chilled glasses then garnish with a fresh lemon wheel.
Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Yuzu Martini Cocktail Recipe Tips
- We suggest serving this this cocktail in a classic martini glass or coupe.
- In this recipe we’ve used a traditional vodka like Absolut but you can get creative by doubling up on yuzu flavour by substituting with Vodka Friday Yuzu Deep Citrus Flavoured Vodka.
- Our recipe serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a festive punch bowl or jug.
- An hour or two before you’re planning on serving drinks we suggest placing the vodka and vermouth bottles in your freezer so it’s well chilled.
- Martini’s can also be prepared with gin so feel free to swap the vodka for your favourite herbaceous gin if you prefer.
Best Selling Vodka
In the 90’s vodka was all the rage, as martini bars sprung up in cocktail-loving North American cities like Toronto and New York.
Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains.
Here are some of the world’s best selling vodka brands and our local small batch favourites:
- Grey Goose: the world’s top selling premium vodka has been produced in France since the 1990s.
- Belvedere: is a close second for world’s favourite premium vodka brand. The Polish rye vodka is named after Belweder, the Polish presidential palace in Warsaw.
- Stolichnaya: also known as Stoli, is produced in Riga, Latvia. The brand produces a wide variety of flavoured vodkas, perfect for seasonal cocktail parties.
- Titos: began as a small-batch vodka brand distilled in Texas. Today, it’s recognized as the best selling vodka in America. Titos is made from corn, making it a gluten-free friendly spirit.
- Ketel One: is a Dutch premium vodka brand with a flavour palette offering hints of honey and citrus.
- Absolut: is an iconic Swedish distiller and was the top selling vodka brand globally for decades. The brand offers a colourful collection of flavoured vodka bottles.
- Smirnoff: this Russian brand was founded in Moscow and today sells 39 different vodka flavours.
- Iceberg Vodka: the top selling vodka in Canada is made from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland.
- Dillon’s Distillery: This Beamsville, Ontario producer makes 2 small batch vodkas near Niagara.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a fun Yuzu Martini soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
When To Serve A Yuzu Martini
This refreshing 3-ingredient cocktail can be enjoyed any time of year. Here are some fun ideas on when to serve the crowd-pleasing drink:
- Dinner party cocktail served with your favourite Japanese dishes like sushi, Barbecued Miso Butter Corn, Mapo Tofu Ramen, Buta Kimchi, Chicken Katsu Curry, Beef Yaki Udon, or Okonomiyaki Cabbage Pancake.
- Happy hour drink served alongside snacks like roasted nuts, olives and cheese.
- Easy guys or girls night beverage
- Pre-drink at home before meeting friends at your local bar
- A refreshing sipper served on a hot summer day at a backyard barbecue
You May Also Enjoy These Vodka Recipes…
- Strawberry Fields Cocktail
- Raspberry & Blackberry Vodka Spritzer
- Passion Fruit Martini Vodka Cocktail
- Vodka Sunrise Cocktail
- Vodka Green Tea Cocktail
- Berry Vodka Smash Cocktail
- Vodka Margarita Cocktail
How To Make A Yuzu Martini Cocktail
Yuzu Martini Cocktail
Equipment
- Jigger
- Cocktail Shaker
- Martini or Coupe Glass
- Ice
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vodka
- 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
- 3 oz Honey Yuzu Lemonade
Instructions
- In an ice filled cocktail shaker add vodka, dry vermouth, and honey yuzu lemonade.
- Shake vigorously until cold 30-45 seconds.
- Strain into a martini or coup glass. Garnish with a fresh yuzu slice or dehydrated citrus wheel.
Nutrition
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