Caprese Martini

While we have seen some pretty out-there martinis in the past few years (I’m looking at you, Dirty Pasta Water Martini). One sip of this tomato and basil martini will immediately conjure comforting and familiar images of everyone's favorite Italian appetizer, Caprese Salad. Developed by Trevor Easton Langer, head bartender at New York’s hip new cocktail bar, Jac’s on Bond, this martini features vodka infused with tomato and basil, luscious olive oil, and a necessary hit of acid from balsamic vinegar. While infusing and then washing the vodka with olive oil takes a bit of forethought, it’s a great idea to prepare a big batch of infused vodka to store in your freezer to make a batch of Caprese martinis in mere minutes. Yes, you need a few days to make it, but its a largely hands-off process that's entirely worth it — we promise. 

“I wanted to bring something new to the savory cocktail world, so I combined two of my favorite flavors – caprese salads and martinis,” says Langer. In this drink, Langer layers multiple savory elements to achieve the herbaceous and vegetal flavor of a classic Caprese salad. It’s just one of many cocktails on the menu at Jac’s on Bond that nails the balance between being creative with a dish that feels familiar. “We wanted to create a cocktail menu that was both inclusive and adventurous — something for everyone, but still unique and original,” Langer explains. 

By using a fat-washing technique, the olive oil gets infused into the vodka, then freezes solid and can be removed. The result is a vodka with a rich mouthfeel and a hint of grassy olive oil flavor. 

Pro tip: you can make a tomato-basil highball with some simple soda water and ice. To make the cocktail, combine the infused vodka with a white vermouth like Lustau Blanco, which is made from sherry and just a bit of balsamic vinegar. “Balsamic vinegar provides the perfect astringency to balance out the roundness of the olive oil,” says Langer. “Plus, it's an essential ingredient for any Caprese-inspired drink.” –– Lucy Simon