Giffard Lychee Martini Recipe
Lychee Martini Recipe
Born in late-1990s London, the Lychee Martini is one of the few "new classics" that hasn't faded. Built right, it's clean, perfumed and dangerously drinkable.
Ingredients
- Vodka50 ml
- Giffard Lytchee liqueur20 ml
- Fresh lime juice10 ml
- Dry vermouth5 ml
- Garnish: one peeled lychee—
Method
- Chill a coupe or Martini glass in the freezer.
- Add vodka, Giffard Lytchee liqueur, fresh lime juice and dry vermouth to a mixing glass.
- Fill with cubed ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds until properly cold and diluted.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Drop one peeled lychee into the bottom of the glass as garnish.
Garnish: One peeled lychee in the glass
Why this works
The Lychee Martini emerged from London's vodka-driven cocktail boom in the late 1990s. At its peak it was the second-most-poured cocktail in Soho. It survives because the lychee fruit is one of the few flavours that pairs cleanly with neutral spirit without needing acid or sugar to mediate.
Giffard Lytchee sits in the Modern range — built specifically for stirred cocktails, with a fragrant rose-petal lift that rounds out the standard lychee note. The 5 ml of dry vermouth is non-negotiable: it provides the dry herbal backbone that stops the drink slipping into dessert territory.
Bartender tips
Stir, don't shake. Shaking aerates and clouds the drink — for a clear, glass-clean Lychee Martini you want a stirred dilution. Use a long bar spoon, count 30 seconds. The vodka should taste neutral; if you can taste the vodka brand, you've gone too soft on dilution. Garnish with a tinned lychee in syrup or a fresh one in season.
Featured products
Giffard Lytchee Liqueur
Modern-range lychee liqueur, 20% ABV. The benchmark for lychee cocktails worldwide.
Shop the bottleGiffard Rose Cream
Rose petal liqueur from the Crème range. Works beautifully alongside lychee in modern floral builds.
Shop the bottleFAQ
Can I use lychee juice instead?
Yes for a non-alcoholic build, but it changes the drink completely. The Giffard liqueur brings 20% ABV and a concentrated fragrance that juice can't match. If juicing, use 30 ml lychee juice plus 10 ml sugar syrup and 30 ml vodka.
Should I add rose water?
A 2 ml bar-spoon of rose water lifts the floral note nicely. Or pour 5 ml of Giffard Rose for a structurally sounder modern variant.
What if I don't have dry vermouth?
You can omit it and the drink still works, but you'll lose the herbal backbone. A 5 ml splash of dry white wine is a passable substitute in a pinch.
Is it sweet?
Medium-dry. The 10 ml of lime keeps it on the citrus side and the dry vermouth pulls it further back. It's a stirred drink, not a sour, but it isn't dessert.