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A Really Girlie Martini

I get to share the first drink recipe!

During the 2nd annual Girls Weekend in Boston, CC, KR and I invented what we decided to call the “All for One” Martini. Before I give you the actual “how-to”, let me give you a bit of background.

Our first night, at dinner, we enjoyed a wonderous concoction called a Chinese 88 made with gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice and finished with sparkling wine. What we didn’t know at the time was that this delightful little cocktail was actually a variation on a French 75, a libation popular during the ‘30’s.  This we discovered when we happened on a little volume called The Savoy Cocktail Book, first published in England in 1930. (This book we decided was a “must have” for classy dames of discerning taste and adventurous palates like ourselves so, as a souvenir of the weekend, KR gifted us all with a copy.)

The original drink is also made with gin and lemon juice, the differences are the addition of sugar and that the sparkling wine must be champagne.

While perusing the wares at an overpriced Copley Square liquor store with the intention of gathering the ingredients to makes these cocktails for ourselves, KR’s eye fell upon a bottle of pink grapefruit vodka. “Hmmmm what could we do with that?” “We should do something with it, it’s pink.” “Absolutely.” “It’s not Absolut, it’s Belvedere.” “Whatever. We need it.” “Absolutely.”

After some discussion we concluded that we could come up with our version of a French 75. We would use vodka (pink grapefruit vodka) instead of gin, pink grapefruit juice instead of lemon and prosecco instead of champagne. Now back to the lab (my apartment) to get the proportions right!

This is the first version:

2 parts Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Vodka

1 part prosecco

Splash of pink grapefruit juice
Pink grapefruit chunk to garnish
Salted sugar to rim the martini glass

Fill shaker with ice; pour in vodka, splash of prosecco and pink grapefruit juice. Strain into martini glass rimmed with salted sugar. Top with remaining prosecco.

It was good, but not great. Now, since I never do anything the same way twice (You’d love my meatloaf), this year I tinkered with the recipe and I think I’ve hit on a winner. Let’s see if I can remember it:

The All For One Martini

2 parts Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Vodka (turns out you can use Absolut* – Ruby Red – if you want to)

1 part pink grapefruit juice

Chunks of pink grapefruit for garnish

Sugar to rim the martini glass

1 part prosecco to top

Fill shaker with ice; pour in vodka and pink grapefruit juice. Rim martini glass with pink grapefruit before dipping into sugar. Strain vodka/grapefruit juice into glass, top with prosecco. Garnish with pink grapefruit chunks.

So basically, the difference is the juice/vodka ratio.

Why is it called the “All For One Martini”?  Because that’s kind of our motto (with a nod to Dumas of course), but that’s another story.

*Stoli by the way, makes honey, vanilla, raspberry, chocolate raspberry, apple, cranberry, pomegranite, orange, pepper, peach, blueberry, lemon, strawberry and wild cherry but no freakin’ grapefruit