Lychee Martini Recipe

Lychee is a unique fruit with a specific taste to it. When combined with a few other ingredients, it makes a delicious, exotic cocktail. I like to use the fruit to create eyes for spooky Halloween cocktails, and I served these at my party last year. They were such a hit.

I used butterfly pea flowers to give it a subtle gray color. These are the best natural food coloring, and they will turn drinks blue or purple, depending on what you’re making. I used it in my popular gin and tonic punch recipe, too.

I recommend keeping dried butterfly pea flowers in your house for recipes. You can find them online, and they last a long time.

Check out our smoking blueberry martini and more of my festive Halloween cocktail recipes.

What is Lychee?

Lychee is a tropical fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. It’s often used in Asian cuisine and has a very distinct taste. The fruit has red rough skin that has to be removed before eating. It’s often used in desserts, but it can also be used in savory dishes as well.

Lychee is also packed with vitamins and health benefits. It’s usually eaten fresh but can also be canned or dried. For this recipe, we used canned lychees and the sweet juice in the can for the martini. I find fresh lychee at our local Mexican market.

Ingredients in a Lychee Martini

Vodka – Use a smooth, good-quality vodka when making martinis.

Orange Liqueur – You can use either Cointreau or Grand Marnier for this recipe. The orange liqueur adds sweetness and a hint of citrus.

Canned Lychee – For this recipe, we use the heavy syrup that comes in the can and the lychee fruit for the cocktail garnish. Not every grocery store will have this but you can find it online. You can also check your local grocery store or specialty food store.

Butterfly Pea Flowers – These are optional, but if you want the purple cocktail color these are perfect!

Lychee Martini for Halloween

You can make this drink in 3 easy steps!

• Combine the butterfly pea flowers and vodka into a small bowl to infuse the color of the vodka.

• Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

• Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.

Lychee Garnish

Since I turned this vodka martini into a Halloween cocktail, I had to give it some spooky lychee eyeball garnishes! These are so fun and easy to make.

Simply, use the lychee in the can and a fresh blueberry and place the blueberry into the middle of the lychee!

Add two of them to a cocktail pick and garnish the martini with them. They look like little googly eyes that are perfect for Halloween!

Expert Tips and Alternatives

Here are ways you can alter this recipe:

• Use gin instead of vodka for a gin lychee martini.

• If you don’t want to use butterfly pea flowers, you can muddle blueberries to give the drink a purple hue.

• If you want a more robust lychee flavor, add an extra ounce of lychee juice.

• For a sweeter martini, use a little simple syrup or a dash of elderflower liqueur for a lychee elderflower martini.

• If you don’t have lychee juice, you can use white grape juice or white cranberry juice.

• Pour the cocktail into a chilled martini glass for a smooth flavor and texture.

• If you don’t want the purple color, you don’t need to add the butterfly pea flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Martini Recipes You’ll Love

• Gingerbread Martini
• Peppermint Martini
• Apple Martini
• Pretty Pink and Cranberry Martini
• Christmas Martini
• Sparkling Grapefruit Martini