Cranberry Yuzu Martini
The Most Refreshing Drink Of Summer
Yuzu, the citrus fruit from Japan, is the essential ingredient in my Cranberry Yuzu Martini, shaken with cold vodka and a splash of cranberry to make a light and refreshing summer cocktail. Fresh lemon and orange juice, plus the tartness of lime, make this very easy to drink and the recipe gives the steps for a single drink or batch cocktails.
I was introduced to yuzu cocktails at a delicious Japanese restaurant in downtown Chicago. The flavor of yuzu is like a unique citrus that is very smooth and less acidic.
I am a huge fan of a lemon drop martini and a classic cosmopolitan. I created this drink as sort of like a mash up of those and yuzu. It was perfection.
I plan on making a big batch of these for a Sunday family get together.
There is a recipe card at the end of this post with steps and ingredients to make a single cocktail or the batch. You can print, save, or pin the recipe card.
Before the recipe card, I have some information on the yuzu syrup/juice for those who may not have access to this in your regular grocery stores.
Yuzu Concentrate
I get my yuzu concentrate from this company called Portland Syrups. You can do a big batch order from them and they will ship to you.
You can also order this in a two pack from Amazon. I have it linked on my Amazon Shop if you need help finding it.
*This is an Amazon affiliate link, so if you use it, Amazon pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you.*
I have also seen different brands of yuzu syrups at liquor stores like Binny’s. You can also find yuzu at an Asian market.
I have even run across it at grocery store chains in the Asian Foods Aisle.
Get Artsy With Your Garnish
I garnished my Cranberry Yuzu Martini with a simple lemon slice. You can get creative and garnish it with other things as well.
You can use the edible dried flowers that we all used in the Azalea Cocktail pictured above. Some other ideas for garnish would be a lavender sprig or even a rosemary sprig to bring some unique flavors to this drink.
A Perfect Pairing
If you want to have a delicious happy hour, you can pair this Yuzu Martini with my Whipped Parmesan, Honey Pecan Dip. This would be the perfect combination of flavors.
The saltiness of this cheese dip would be so delicious with the delicate citrus flavors of this drink.
Cranberry Yuzu Martini Recipe
Yuzu, the delicious citrus fruit of Japan, makes a great Lemon Drop Martini. Refreshing and slightly sweet with aromatic citrus notes. The perfect sipper for summer.
Ingredients
- For A Single Drink:
- 3 ounces of Vodka
- 2 ounces of Yuzu Syrup *links and information in post before recipe card
- 2 ounces of Cranberry Juice
- Squeeze of Juice from a quarter of an Orange Slice
- Squeeze of Juice from a quarter of a Lemon Slice
- Squeeze of Lime
- For A Batch Of Drinks (approximately 4 drinks):
- 2 cups of Vodka
- Juice from one Lemon
- Juice from one Orange
- 1.5 cups of Yuzu Syrup
- 1 cup of Cranberry Juice
- 6 slices of Lime
- 6 slices of Lemon
Instructions
- Add ice to a martini shaker, add the yuzu syrup, cranberry juice, orange and lemon juice, and the squeeze of lime.
- Shake over ice until chilled and pour into a martini glass and garnish with a slice of lemon. You can also serve over ice in a rocks glass with a slice of lemon.
- To make the batch version, mix all of the ingredients plus the lemon and lime slices and store in a pitcher, covered. It can be made up to one day in advance. When ready to drink, pour the individual serving into a shaker filled with ice, shake, and serve in a martini glass or rocks glass with ice and a slice of lemon for garnish.