French Martini Cocktail Recipe
Vodka, pineapple and raspberry liqueur shaken hard enough to raise a fine pale foam.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Martini glass
- ABV: 16%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Vodka45 ml (1.5 oz)
- Pineapple juice45 ml (1.5 oz)
- Raspberry liqueur15 ml (0.5 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard until a foam forms.
- Double-strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Float a raspberry on the foam.
Garnish
Fresh raspberry
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced, fruit notes come forward and it wears a foam cap.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
The conical martini glass. Made for drinks served without ice — the stem keeps your hand off the bowl and the cone funnels the aroma upward.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Vodka
- Vodka brings body and alcohol rather than flavour; its job is to get out of the way of everything else. Which is why, in a vodka drink, how fresh the juice is matters far more than the brand.
- Pineapple juice
- Pineapple juice. It foams on its own when shaken — that creamy head on a tiki drink comes from the pineapple, not from egg white.
The Story
A Keith McNally creation from 1980s New York, and neither French nor a Martini — but the pineapple foam earned it a place anyway.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a French Martini mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a martini glass.
- How strong is a French Martini?
- Roughly 16% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a French Martini be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a French Martini hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.