Green Apple Martini
Call it an appletini if you must, but the appeal of this ’90s-era drink is undeniable. Go on, admit it—we’ve all had a few ’tinis in our time. According to Carlos Quinonez, bar director at Hungry Eyes in New Orleans (one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024), the apple martini is one of the most popular drinks on their menu. So popular it’s made in batches and served on tap. Where some appletini recipes rely on cloying flavored vodka, sour mix, or apple schnapps, at Hungry Eyes the drink is made with fresh apple juice, cognac, and a house-made sour apple syrup. The Jolly Rancher–like hue comes from a splash of Midori melon liqueur, which “enhances the apple flavor,†says Quinonez, and lends the drink “that bright green color I really wanted.â€
To make the syrup, you’ll blend Granny Smith apples with sugar and lemon juice. Passed through a strainer, the resulting liquid makes about 20 cocktails. Because of apple, the syrup oxidizes quickly. If you aren’t making cocktails for a crowd, freeze the extra (ice cube trays work great); it’ll keep for about one month.
Switch up this cocktail recipe by trading the cognac for apple brandy, such as Calvados, or use apple cider in place of the juice. Skip the stemware and pour the drink into a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or apple slices. No matter which way you go, this green apple martini is a crowdpleaser of a drink. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
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What you’ll need
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Cocktail Shaker
$20 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
Makes 1
Ingredients
Apple Syrup
1
¼
2
Martini
1½
½
½
¼
¼
1
Preparation
Apple Syrup
Step 1
Purée 1 large green apple, scrubbed, cored, cut into 1" pieces, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and ¼ cup water in a blender until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small pitcher or large measuring glass, pressing on solids to extract as much juice as possible; discard solids.
Do Ahead: Apple syrup can be made 2 hours ahead; cover and keep chilled, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 1 month (thaw before using).
Martini
Step 2
Combine 1½ oz. vodka, ½ oz. clear store-bought apple juice, ½ oz. fresh lemon juice, ¼ oz. cognac, ¼ oz. Midori, and ½ oz. apple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass with 1 maraschino cherry placed in it.
Editor’s Note: Head this way for more of our favorite vodka cocktails →
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