Strawberry Martini

Celebrate strawberry season with a sweet and delicious Strawberry Martini! This simple three-ingredient drink is perfect for sipping with dessert or with a sweet-and-salty appetizer.

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Fresh Strawberry Martini recipe

The best time of the year is almost here: strawberry season.

When strawberries are at their finest, I can’t help but make all the strawberry drinks and desserts.

From strawberry lemonade to strawberry rhubarb champagne cocktail, there are so many ways to celebrate this delicious berry.

The strawberry martini is my new favorite. The combination of gin, triple sec and homemade strawberry simple syrup is the perfect trio to sip before or after a great meal. 

It feels so fancy and fun, thanks to the gorgeous pink color and a whole strawberry on the rim. 

​Let’s shake up this easy summer cocktail! 

More dessert martini recipes: Espresso Martini • Tiramisu Martini • Birthday Cake Martini • Pumpkin Spice Martini

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy, this three-ingredient drink is simple to shake up.
• The flavor is fresh and delicious — the perfect spring and summer cocktail.
• You can make a homemade strawberry simple syrup quickly and easily to use in a bunch of cocktails or you can use store-bought if you need a shortcut.

It’s the perfect cocktail for happy hour, girls’ night or game night, or just any night where you want to enjoy a fresh cocktail.

You could make a big batch to serve at cookouts, birthday parties, engagement parties, wedding showers or baby showers.

Tools & glassware

If you make your own strawberry simple syrup, you’ll need a paring knife to cut your strawberries. A strawberry huller makes it easy to pull the green stems out of the berries.

And then you’ll also need a small saucepan to warm everything up together.

For making the cocktail, you will need a jigger to measure out ingredients, a cocktail shaker and a strainer. I prefer a hawthorn strainer.

The best cocktail glass for a strawberry martini is either a martini glass or a coupe glass.

dessert martini glasses

coupe glasses

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martini glasses

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stemless martini glasses

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Ingredients

You only need three simple ingredients to make this cocktail!

Gin

Some people love gin, and some don’t. It’s easy to see why: The herbal, almost medicinal taste is complex and strong, especially in a cocktail like the gin & tonic.

But every brand bears a different flavor profile, and it’s fun to try them in different cocktails. Here are three gins I am enjoying right now:

• The classic Hendrick’s Gin is sweet and herbaceous with hints of juniper.
• Citadelle Gin comes in a stunning blue bottle with a bright, aromatic flavor with a hint of spice.
• Old Tom Gin is a little bit sweeter. It’s also great in the classic Pimm’s Cup, another strawberry cocktail.

If you are not a fan of gin, no worries! You can make it a strawberry vodka martini with plain vodka or a tequila martini instead. For a sweeter cocktail, you could use vanilla vodka or strawberry vodka.

Orange liqueur

Triple sec is a clear-colored orange liqueur that adds a slight hint of sweet orange flavor to the cocktail, plus a little extra booziness.

The citrus flavor helps to balance the sweetness of the strawberries.

A pricier orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier may be used instead of triple sec for a more top-shelf cocktail.

Strawberry syrup

The strawberry flavor in this cocktail comes from a simple syrup made with fresh strawberries.

It’s easy to make a homemade strawberry simple syrup with fresh fruit, granulated sugar and water.

You can also buy strawberry syrup online or in specialty grocery stores.

If you don’t have or want to make the strawberry syrup, you could do a couple of things. Be sure to strain well with either option:

• Muddle strawberries with regular simple syrup in the cocktail shaker. Use a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to squash the berries and release their juices.
• Combine 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of strawberry jam or strawberry preserves with 2 ounces hot water. Stir to combine.

Variations and substitutions

If you are not a gin fan, you can make this cocktail with vodka or tequila instead.

For a non-alcoholic strawberry martini, use a zero-proof spirit such as Ritual gin alternative.

You could also flavor your strawberry syrup. Add some mint sprigs, basil leaves or another type of berries to switch things up.

Strawberry simple syrup

Like the name implies, making strawberry simple syrup is super simple to do! Here’s what to do:

1. Place ripe strawberries, sugar, and water in a pot and muddle the strawberries to release juices.
2. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Carefully strain the syrup into an airtight container to remove the seeds and pulp. Allow to cool to room temperature or fully chill in the fridge overnight.

This recipe makes about 10-12 ounces of strawberry simple syrup. Store the extra syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If you have any leftover syrup, use it to make an Italian soda or French soda.

Instead of discarding the strained strawberries used to make the syrup, save them for another dish! This syrup would also work well on pancakes, waffles, yogurt bowls, sweet rolls, and trifles.

They would work beautifully as a topping for overnight oats, vanilla ice cream, yogurt parfaits, pancakes or a strawberry smoothie. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3 days.

How to make a Strawberry Martini

Making this three-ingredient strawberry martini is super simple. Let’s get shaking!

First, add gin, strawberry simple syrup, triple sec and ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Then strain into martini glasses or coupe glasses and serve immediately. Cheers to you!

Here are a few garnish ideas for this cocktail:

• strawberry slices
• a whole strawberry 
• lemon slices
• a lemon wedge
• sprig of mint 
• basil leaf 

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips for making this easy cocktail the best it can be: 

• Add more or less of the strawberry simple syrup to the martini to suit your tastes.
• Make this cocktail your own by adding an ounce of fresh lemon juice for a tart twist.
• For a top-shelf drink. Cointreau may be used in place of triple sec.
• Switch up the gin for vodka or tequila if you prefer.

What to serve with a strawberry martini

This sweet strawberry martini is perfect for dessert! Especially on hot summer days when you want something light and refreshing. 

Try it with a simple strawberry dessert of chocolate-covered strawberries or a bowl of fresh strawberries with homemade whipped cream. (You can even use the leftover strawberries from making the simple syrup.)

Any fruity dessert would also be delicious with this fresh cocktail. Try it with blueberry coffee cake or strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

This delicious cocktail could also be enjoyed before dinner with sweet-and-salty appetizers like baked brie with honey, bacon-wrapped dates or a charcuterie board.

FAQ

More strawberry cocktail recipes

If you love strawberries, try one of these delicious strawberry cocktails:

• Strawberry Basil Margaritas
• Strawberry Mojito
• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris
• Rosé Sangria
• Strawberry Mimosas