There Goes the Cupcake…

Ever since our first trip to the Cheesecake Factory a very long time ago, the apple Martini has been one of our favorite drinks. You can find a million different ways to make them on the web but until we made this one from my favorite bar book we didn’t have a go-to recipe. This martini, as with almost of the recipes in the book, uses fresh lemon-lime juice and adds the twist of mint. The mint is really a background flavor so if mint is not your favorite know its not overpowering, in fact the tart apple flavor of the apple vodka will surprise you. It really carries this drink very well and you will be happy you have a sugared rim to counter that tartness. This is a very simple drink to make and considering the apple vodka is the only alcohol in it and because its rather inexpensive in itself, this drink really is cheap to make. So if you love apple martinis or just need a new fresh drink to try, this one might become your new favorite!

Recipe from the book: Hip Sips
5 to 7 Mint leaves
2 ounces Smirnoff apple vodka (not apple schnapps)
1 ounce Fresh Lemon-Lime juice ( equal parts lemon and lime juice)
1 ounce Simple Syrup
Lollipop Rim

Make your simple syrup, use equal parts water to sugar, put it in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved, stirring a few times. Pull it off the heat and cool.

Put your martini glass into the freezer to chill.
Add some crushed ice (I take a few cubes and put them in a Ziploc baggie and bash them up) to your cocktail shaker with the mint leaves. Muddle them together until its slushy and the mint is evenly distributed throughout. Add ice to fill the shaker and add in the vodka, lemon-lime juice and simple syrup. Take your martini glass out of the freezer and run a lime wedge around the rim and dip it into sugar to rim the glass with a lollipop rim. Shake your cocktail shaker for 15 seconds and strain into your sugar rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a mint sprig or apple slice.