I’ve long enjoyed a lychee martini when available but it wasn’t until I started traveling to China that I attached a sentiment to it. Every China trip I would fly in and fly out of Hong Kong and stay at the W Hotel, which has an excellent lychee martini in their WOOBar. So now when I have a good lychee martini it reminds me of travel, adventure, and the journey ahead. Since I haven’t been to China in a while I decided to come up with the closest lychee martini recipe I could find…and this one’s a winner. It’s so good, if I were in a bar I would order a second round!
Jump to myLychee Martini Recipe
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What is Lychee?
Lychee is a tropical fruit from the soapberry tree and it’s native to China. That’s probably why lychee martinis aren’t that common and you find them at a lot of upscale Asian restaurants. The taste is unique and I’ve heard it explained before as a cross between a floral and a melon flavor.
Fresh Lychee or Canned Lychee?
In the U.S., you can sometimes find fresh lychee in the produce aisle, but if you can’t, they are readily available canned (if not in your store you can order canned online). Generally canned is in syrup, but I have seen them before with no sugar added (although I haven’t tried these).
Lychee is kind of acorn or strawberry shaped and a little smaller than a golf ball. If you use fresh lychee you’ll need to pop off the stem, peel the fruit, and pull out the seed. The flavor isn’t as sweet as canned since canned is stored in syrup.
I prefer to use canned lychee in martinis. Way less work and I like the extra sweetness it gives the drink. Plus you can keep it in your cupboard and have lychee martinis whenever you feel like it. And you will feel like it, trust me!
What are Tapioca Pearls?
A few years ago Boba (or Bubble) tea became very popular in the U.S. and part of it was for the chewy tapioca balls in the bottom of the drink. Originating from Asia, tapioca pearls are translucent chewy spheres made from tapioca and take on whatever flavor they are flavored with. Since lychee is Asian and tapioca balls are Asian and I wanted a little extra lychee flavor in the drink I thought, why not?
These are the lychee tapioca pearls I use. They are easy to make but I must stress that you need to follow the directions and put them in an ice bath to cool them off and prevent overcooking. Also, I only put about 5 or 6 in each martini so only make as many as you think you’ll need.
Jigger | You’ll need to measure your liquids for the martini. Of course, you can use a measuring cup but I find it easier to use my dual-sided jigger, which is a staple of every proper at-home bar.
co*cktail Shaker| The Cobbler shaker is the easiest shaker to use in my opinion since it has a built-in strainer and lid. All-in-one.
Coupe Glasses| The perfect glass for a champagne co*cktail or a martini is a coupe. Trust me, I used to be a drinkware buyer.
The colder the better when it comes to martinis. Shake shake shake that shaker until it’s too cold in your hand.
Make sure you put the tapioca pearls in cold water or an ice bath. You don’t want warm tapioca pearls warming up your martini.
More summer co*cktail recipes to try:
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How Strong Is a Lychee Martini? Like most martinis, this is not a light drink. When made with the average lychee liqueur, its alcohol content falls in the 25 percent ABV (50 proof) range.
If you have neither the liqueur or the syrup you can use lychee juice. Ceres of South Africa makes an excellent all natural lychee juice that is diluted with pear juice.
Sweet, simple and refreshing, the distinct flavor of the lychee fruit is the star of the red lotus co*cktail. It is a very simple mixed drink that you may quickly find becomes a new favorite. In this recipe, a sweet lychee liqueur accents that favorite combination of vodka and cranberry.
Lychees are primarily composed of water and carbs, most of which are sugars. Compared to many other fruits, they're low in fiber. They're also high in vitamin C and offer decent amounts of copper and potassium.
Lychee liqueurs are typically clear or pale pink (the color of rosé wine). Though rare, a few are a deep, rose-like red, most likely due to coloring additives. They're bottled between 18 percent and 21 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 36 to 42 proof).
Lychee fruit has many health benefits. Consuming lychee is good for your heart, liver, and brain health. It is also effective against diseases like diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Its antioxidant activity can protect from free radical damage.
A Martini is made using either gin or vodka with the addition of vermouth, a fortified wine which has a low alcohol content. Removing the vermouth from this mix makes this drink 'bone dry' and possibly one of the most alcoholic drinks you can get, as it's made with 100 per cent alcohol.
The fruit is white and glossy in appearance with a texture similar to that of a firm grape and the pleasant floral aroma. The flavor of a lychee is sweet, with notes of citrus and watermelon, but most notably tastes of a cross between strawberry and pear with rose water mixed in.
Rambutan: Rambutan is closely related to lychee and has a similar sweet and juicy flavour. The flesh is translucent and surrounds a central seed. The outer skin is hairy and red or yellow when ripe. Longan: Often referred to as "dragon eye," longan has a sweet and floral flavour similar to lychee.
Lychee: Pairs well with citrus, ginger, gooseberry, tropical fruit, and vanilla. It mixes especially well with sake, tequila, and vodka to make some stunning lychee co*cktails. Mandarin: Pairs well with cardamom, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, fig, ginger, nutmeg, tropical fruits, vanilla, and star anise.
What does a lychee martini taste like? Lychees have the sweet taste of grape, strawberry and melon, but with a slight tart finish. They are so unique and so wonderful. When mixed with lychee liqueur and vodka you get a sweet co*cktail that has a wonderful perfume to it but that isn't sickly sweet.
Lychee Juice (Litchi Juice) is made from fresh, juicy lychees blended with water, mint, and lime juice and strained through a fine-mesh strainer. The taste of litchi juice is often similar to a cross between a grape and a strawberry. It is also refreshing and a perfect beverage for hot summer days.
This fruit has been used to prepare a low-alcohol high-flavor beverage using the techniques of partial osmotic dehydration. It was found that a product containing 5–6% alcohol, 3–4% sugar, and 0.35% acid can be prepared as an appetizing soft drink instead of an intoxicating liquor.
The most important question: What does lychee taste like? The aromatic lychee is sweet, with slightly floral and acidic notes. Upon biting, you'll get a juicy flavor burst with a taste similar to a strawberry or pear with a hint of citrus.
Liqueur with the delicate and perfumed flavor of lychee. Color Light pink color, resembling the color of the fruit itself. Scent Very intense scent, fresh and lively with notes of fresh lychee and rose. Taste Characteristic taste of lychee, very floral notes and slightly vanilla.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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