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This raspberry martini uses tangy raspberry syrup for a vibrant berry flavor in every sip! It’s a sweet vodka cocktail perfect for date nights, Valentine’s Day, or any celebration.
Here’s a sweet cocktail with a vibrant color: the Raspberry Martini! This drink looks stunning in the glass and is full of bright berry flavor. It’s on the sweeter side, but the zing of fresh lemon balances it perfectly.
When creating this recipe, I found that homemade raspberry syrup brings the most authentic berry flavor, and balances the sweet and tart perfectly. It’s one of my favorite cocktail ideas for a romantic dinner, girls night, Valentine’s Day, or really any occasion that needs a red drink!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The raspberry martini is one in a long list of flavored vodka martinis. This family of drinks has almost nothing in common with the Classic Martini, except the glass! The classic martini stars ultra-dry gin and vermouth. Vodka martinis became popular in the 1990’s, with every flavor of sweet and fruity: like cucumber, watermelon, or chocolate.
Some vodka martinis have official definitions (like the lemon drop martini and espresso martini), but others are up to the mixologist: like this one! Here’s what’s in my raspberry martini:
- Vodka: I use a mid-range vodka: nothing fancy is required since the raspberry syrup provides most of the flavor.
- 100% Cranberry Juice: I specifically call for unsweetened cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail or cranberry juice drink. The 100% juice provides a tart flavor and brilliant color without extra sweetness. If you can only find sweetened juice, reduce the raspberry syrup to ½ ounce and adjust to taste.
- Lemon Juice: Always use fresh (bottled lemon juice has a completely different flavor profile!).
- Raspberry Syrup: Homemade is best! If you’re buying it, look for one without artificial colors or flavors. Most liquor stores carry quality options.
Why To Use Homemade Raspberry Syrup
This raspberry martini cocktail gets its beautifully sweet flavor from raspberry syrup! We highly recommend making the fresh syrup because it has the best, pure berry flavor. Note that you’ll need to make it in advance: but it only takes 10 minutes of hands on time. Mix up a batch and have it ready to go for shaking up the drink. Here are the basic steps:
- Melt sugar: Place 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
- Add berries and simmer: Add ½ cup fresh raspberries and cook until the berries break down, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning the heat to low when it starts to boil. Break down the berries with a spatula as needed. Once fully liquid, strain into a jar using a fine mesh sieve and a spatula.
- Cool: Allow to cool, then store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
More uses for raspberry syrup? Make a Clover Club, or serve it over pancakes or mug cake.
How to Make a Raspberry Martini: Basic Steps
Got all your ingredients? Let’s make this raspberry cocktail! Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):
- Shake: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls ice and shake until cold. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Use a mason jar with top.
- Strain: Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a few more fresh raspberries to be fancy.
Serving Suggestions
The raspberry martini recipe works as a signature drink for so many occasions:
- Romantic Dinners: The red color makes it perfect for date nights or as a Valentine’s Day cocktail
- Girls’ Night: Batch it up by multiplying the recipe: just shake individual servings rather than mixing everything at once
- Holiday Entertaining: The color works well for Christmas or New Year’s Eve
- Special Celebrations: Birthdays, anniversaries, or any occasion deserving a signature cocktail
- After-Dinner Drinks: The sweetness makes it an excellent dessert drink
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
The raspberry syrup stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
For parties, you can pre-measure the vodka, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup in a large batch. When guests arrive, just shake up 4 oz portions with ice!
Raspberry Martini
This raspberry martini uses tangy raspberry syrup for a vibrant berry flavor in every sip! It’s a sweet vodka cocktail perfect for date nights, Valentine’s Day, or any celebration.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) vodka
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened**)
- ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) raspberry syrup (homemade is best, or use purchased)
- For the garnish: fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold.
- Strain the drink into a cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with raspberries and serve.
Notes
Raspberry syrup: If all you can find is sweetened cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail, use ½ ounce raspberry syrup, then add more to taste.
Storage notes: The raspberry syrup stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. For parties, you can pre-measure the vodka, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup in a large batch. When guests arrive, just shake up 4 oz portions with ice!
More Red Cocktails
This raspberry martini is a stunning naturally red cocktail; here are a few more favorites:
- Try a Blood Orange Margarita, Italian Margarita or Cranberry Margarita
- Go bubbly with a Cranberry Mimosa, Pomegranate Mimosa or Kir Royale
- Opt for modern classics like the Jungle Bird or Paper Plane
- Try a bright red Strawberry Margarita, Strawberry Daiquiri or Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
- Go the red wine route with Red Sangria
Raspberry cranberry vodka simple syrup — YUMMMM. We have a decent sized raspberry patch. We made raspberry freezer jam and raspberry jelly yesterday. Well, we didn’t have enough juice for a 3rd batch of jelly. So, I checked for drinks using this. Wahla!!! I had simple syrup with infused mint on hand. WOW!! My husband even liked it.
Are there really no raspberry drinks that you don’t have to put cranberry juice in? I don’t care for mint and I can’t drink rum. All I can ever think of is a raspberry muddled or blended. I was hoping you guys could do me better.
Have you tried a raspberry margarita? https://www.acouplecooks.com/raspberry-margarita/