Cocktail recipe
Pistachio Martini
A velvety pistachio dessert cocktail that tastes of toasted nuts, vanilla and almond.
Ingredients
- 45 ml (1½ oz) vanilla vodka
- 22.5 ml (¾ oz) pistachio cream liqueur
- 15 ml (½ oz) amaretto
- 7.5 ml (¼ oz) heavy cream, optional
- Garnish: 3 g (about 1 tsp) finely chopped unsalted pistachios on a partial rim, optional
Preparation
If using a rim, lightly dampen just one third of the coupe’s edge and press into finely chopped pistachios, leaving a clean place to sip. Shake vodka, pistachio cream liqueur and amaretto vigorously with ice; include the optional cream only if the pistachio liqueur needs more body. Fine-strain into the chilled glass and serve immediately. Avoid lemon or other acid that may curdle dairy.
Glassware
Chilled coupe, optional partial nut rim
History
Unlike a classical gin-and-vermouth Martini, the Pistachio Martini is a contemporary dessert-cocktail family without an established individual inventor or first publication. Difford’s Guide notes its popularity in Boston’s North End, where several venues claim to have created it, but none of those claims is conclusively documented. Recipes vary considerably: some rely on pistachio cream liqueur, others use vanilla vodka, amaretto, blue curaçao or Irish cream to evoke a green nutty dessert. Our house recipe deliberately uses actual pistachio-flavoured liqueur and does not pretend to be a canonical historical formula. **Allergens:** tree nuts and dairy; check liqueur labels for additional allergens.
Mixology View
Pistachio must be more than a green colour cue. We prefer real nut flavour, a restrained amaretto accent and a clean, uncluttered presentation.