Sugar Plum Martini
It’s the Christmas season—what can I say? Part of me wanted to create a whole suite of Nutcracker inspired martinis! But in the end, I went with just one, a Sugar Plum Martini, sans fairy.
Sugar Plum Martini
All of this took me back to a very distant memory–of real, actual, sugar plums. One long-ago Christmas, my father brought home an expensive box of imported candies. Packed in a hatbox style container, each treat had a dried plum in the center and was surrounded by a thick coating of white sugar glaze (similar to candied almonds, but with a plum at the center–note that this post will not be covering any of the sugar plum definition controversy).
The confections were exquisite—and the memory is vivid enough to come prominently to mind for both my mother and me at the mere mention of the candy (or fairy).
Sugar Plum Martini
A couple years ago, I decided to try making my own from online instructions. This was, alas, harder than it looked. Perhaps I’ll try again some time. But for now, I’m going to make due with a Sugar Plum Martini.
This drink came out of the “martini lab” that I staged when my collegians came home for Thanksgiving. I started with a box of mini flavored vodka bottles and the Sugar Plum Martini was an instant hit—which posed a dilemma. How do you make a second, when your plum vodka mini is empty?
Cutting lemon for Sugar Plum Martini
The answer? Ad-lib with berry vodka. So if you want to try this don’t feel you need to go buy a bottle of plum vodka if there is a sweet fruity sub available.
Sugar Plum Martini Ingredients
I, however, will be hitting up the liquor store before the last exam lands on the professor’s desk. Those college kids are looking for a slightly different kind of sugar plum now that they’re growing up.
Sugar Plum Martini for Christmas
Merry Christmas to all!
- • 1 ounce Pearl Plum Vodka,
- • 1 ounce Cointreau
- • 2+ ounces sparkling cranberry juice (see note)
- • Dash of bitter lemon tonic water or lemon juice
- Shake vodka and cointreau with ice then pour into martini glass. Top with chilled sparkling (or not) cranberry juice and a good squeeze of lemon.
- I recommend doing straight cranberry juice rather than one blended with a sweeter juice. The (uber-sweet) drink benefits from the tartness that the cranberry and lemon add.
- For an alcohol free version, mix 2 ounces of orange juice or orange soda with the cranberry juice.
you’ve made the perfect christmas cocktail!
Thanks Grace! Happy New Year now!
Such a festive drink! Hope your family had a wonderful Christmas.
Thanks Beth. Just visited and looks like your family had a lovely Christmas. Best wishes for a great New Year as well!
Love the idea of a special cocktail at Christmas!
Just in case we are short special treats for the holidays 😉
We aren’t much into martinis but this one is awfully tempting. And I have the perfect music to play while sipping it! Merry Christmas, Inger!
That’s what we were missing! Sipping to the music! Hope you holidays have been great David! Didn’t you just get back from a vacation??
Merry Christmas, Inger!!! Wowza! I’m all over this Sugar Plum Matini, lol…That story about your Father’s box of chocolate is to be cherished forever, it most surely sounds like it is:)
Thank you so much for sharing this concept and recipe. It sounds amazing. Now, I’m betwixt and between for this martini and the candy cane vodka I saw over at Pams, lol…I may wish for both!!!
As you know Inger, I haven’t been blogging lately. I did do an update to my blog last evening. If you get a chance pop by:) I wanted to tell you how wonderful it has been getting to know you these past years in the blogging world. I have watched you evolve through your blog and words into quite a PRO, kudos to you dear Inger. Keep up the GREAT work. A very Merry Christmas to You and Yours and a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year!!! May all your wishes and dreams come true. Always remember those fairies:)
You are too kind Louise! I must say I miss “talking to” you very much. We will just have to stay in touch through some other social media (though I am not the best there–something for a New Year’s Resolution??) And I think you should have both drinks–holidays after all! Take care, stay well and have fun in 2017!
Sounds wonderful Ingrid and so very festive!
Thanks Liz. It really was fun!