The woodland vesper martini is a "winter wonderland" sort of riff on the boozy James Bond classic. Just a few drops of forest flavored bitters add a subtle, yet seasonally soothing and wildly aromatic, new dimension to the original flavor profile of this drink. If you're looking to "spruce up" your Christmas cocktail game, this one is definitely Prancer approved.
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Ingredients for a Woodland Vesper Martini
- gin (London dry style)
- vodka
- Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc
- woodland bitters
- dried citrus wheel (optional to garnish)
- fresh rosemary sprig to garnish (optional to garnish)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for a Woodland Vesper Martini
Pour the gin into a cocktail shaker.
Then add the vodka.
As well as the Cocchi Americano.
Finally, drop in the woodland bitters.
Toss in plenty of ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Then strain into a martini or coupe glass.
Garnish with a dried citrus wheel and/or fresh rosemary sprig, if desired, and serve immediately.
Hint: When it comes to garnish, the classic vesper martini calls for a juicy lemon twist. But if you really want to lean into the winter wonderland vibe, some dried citrus works much better here. And if you can't resist going all out on the whole forest theme, then I highly recommend tossing in a fresh woody sprig of rosemary as well!
Equipment
In keeping with the spirit of James Bond and the original classic "shaken, not stirred" vesper martini, you will need a cocktail shaker for this drink.
Top tip
The "Woodland Bitters" featured in this cocktail come from Portland Bitters Project, one of my favorite local purveyors for craft bitters...and they are wonderful. But if you can't source a bottle of this particular bitters, don't despair! There are certainly more forest focused options...you might also try Scrappy's "Northwest Alpine Bitters" or Bennet Bitters "Wild Hunt."
Related
Looking for more festive cocktails to serve throughout the holiday season? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Woodland Vesper Martini
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 3 ounces gin (London dry style)
- 1 ounce vodka
- ½ ounce Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc
- 3 or 4 drops woodland bitters
- dried citrus wheel (optional to garnish)
- fresh rosemary sprig (optional to garnish)
Instructions
- Pour the gin, vermouth, and Cocchi Americano (or Lillet Blanc) into a cocktail shaker.
- Add the woodland bitters.
- Toss in plenty of ice. Then shake vigorously until well-chilled.
- Strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with a dried citrus wheel and/or fresh rosemary sprig, if desired, and serve immediately.
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