Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 2 ounces white grape juice
- ¼ ounce elderflower liqueur
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, white grape juice, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Variations and Substitutions of the Butterfly Drink
Make a few tweaks, changes, and substitutions to your butterfly drink to suit any wishes.
- Play around with different flavors of vodka, such as lemon, orange, pineapple, or vanilla. You can take the flavor one step further by infusing your own vodka at home.
- Instead of lemon juice, you can swap in lime juice or use a mix of both.
- Muddle a couple of sliced grapes for a tart grape flavor.
- If you like your martinis on the sour side, add an extra quarter ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Top off with a splash of prosecco for an elegant and fizzy touch.
- Give it butterfly-like coloration by replacing the vodka with Empress 1908 gin or another butterfly pea flower gin.
Garnishes
The butterfly drink can easily inspire creative garnishes. After all, it's only fitting to add a grand final touch to a name that inspires beauty.
- Garnish with an edible flower, such as hibiscus, chamomile blossom, lilac, or rose.
- Instead of a lemon slice, use a lemon wheel, ribbon, or peel.
- Consider a dehydrated lemon wheel for an intriguing look.
- Float a lemon wheel on top of the drink, placing a flower petal or two on top of the wheel.
About the Butterfly Drink
Despite such an alluring flavor and drink name, the butterfly martini doesn't have a long history like most cocktails or other martinis. It may not carry a catchy name like the pornstar martini, but it's worthy of being on a shelf with other flavorful and notable martinis. History books credit mixologist Alex Kammerling with the creation of the butterfly martini, and Kammerling is also responsible for the canary flip and the bohemian iced tea which, unlike the tealess Long Island iced tea, actually does call for tea.
Taking Flight in a Martini Glass
Don't let the name fool you; the butterfly in this drink comes from its light and airy taste. Although if you wanted to include a splash of butterfly pea flower, go ahead and spread those wings of your dream. Regardless of how you emerge from a chrysalis, the butterfly drink will capture your attention.
