Ingredients
- 2½ ounces vodka or cranberry-infused vodka
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Variations and Substitutions
This simple and juicily tart martini does have some room to play around with other ingredients without changing what it is at its roots.
- Use lemon juice instead of lime.
- Try equal parts cranberry juice and cranberry liqueur.
- If you want your crantini to be less tart, skip the lime juice and use simple syrup.
- To keep the tart flavor and skip the citrus, use dry vermouth.
- Replace the vodka with rosemary-infused vodka.
Garnishes
Garnishes aren't something to skip in a drink. They add a visual experience as well as afford a nose and flavor that would otherwise be missing. Garnishes are an extension of the cocktail itself.
- Use a lemon twist instead of lime wedge.
- Add an orange twist for a warm citrus profile.
- Pierce three whole cranberries on a cocktail skewer.
- Consider adding a sugar rim for a sweeter flavor.
About the Cranberry Martini
The cranberry martini is a simplified version of the popular Cosmopolitan martini. It skips the orange liqueur, focusing just on the vodka and cranberry juice. The Cosmo first appeared around the mid-1930s, but used gin instead of vodka and added a splash of raspberry syrup too. The source of the Cosmo is disputed, with the creation being credited to Provincetown, Minneapolis, New York City, and San Francisco.
With the origin of the Cosmo a mystery, the crantini has the same lore. It lacks the definitive facts of its history and origin, but it's safe to assume that it was born of necessity or lack of ingredients. But sometimes, the best things are born due to experimentation.
Tart, Sweet, and Just Right
Shaking up a cranberry martini is a great way to enjoy the tart flavors of cranberry while sipping an afternoon treat. It also makes a fantastic brunch drink or after-dinner cocktail. So skip the orange liqueur and head straight for a cranberry martini.
