Ingredients
- 2.5 oz Raspberry Vodka
- 1.5 oz Lychee Liqueur
- 1 Raspberries
- 1 Lychee(s)
- Raspberry Sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Glass:
- On the inside of a martini glass, make a few thin streaks with raspberry sauce to resemble veins.
Create the Eyeball:
- Insert a raspberry into the center of a pitted lychee to create a spooky eyeball effect. Drop it into the glass.
Mix the Drink:
- In a shaker with ice, combine the raspberry vodka, lychee liqueur, and 1/2 oz lychee juice. Shake well.
Pour Carefully:
- Strain the mixture into the prepared martini glass, being careful not to wash away the raspberry streaks.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Zombitini is a 2010s craft-cocktail riff on the classic vodka martini, swapping the dry vermouth for raspberry vodka and lychee liqueur. The name plays on the Zombie cocktail (the tiki classic) and the martini format; the Zombitini is neither tiki nor traditional martini, but a bridge between the two styles.
It sits in the fruit-martini family with the French Martini, the Cosmopolitan and the Espresso Martini. All four lean on a fruit or coffee flavour to deliver a sweeter, more approachable martini than the dry classic. The Zombitini separates itself with the raspberry-and-lychee pairing, which delivers a more floral profile than the cranberry or pineapple alternatives.
Best ordered at a craft cocktail bar with a strong fruit-spirit selection, not at a dive bar. The cocktail is fruit-forward, sweet and floral; the longer-pour aperitif format suits a slow-sip evening more than a fast-pour late-night order.
What it tastes like
Sweet raspberry up front, soft lychee floral through the middle, faint vodka warmth on the finish. The raspberry sauce drizzle adds a sweet-tart accent; the fresh raspberries and lychee garnish provide a fresh-fruit lift on each sip.
Around 30 percent ABV in the glass once stirred. Two and a half ounces of raspberry vodka at 35 percent ABV and one and a half ounces of lychee liqueur at 18 percent ABV gives a moderately strong cocktail; the fruit garnishes and the raspberry sauce add visual appeal without diluting the alcohol.
The technique
Combine two and a half ounces of raspberry vodka and one and a half ounces of lychee liqueur in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 25 to 30 seconds with a bar spoon to chill and dilute. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with three fresh raspberries on a cocktail pick and one lychee fruit on the rim. Drizzle a thin line of raspberry sauce around the inside of the glass before pouring.
The stir is the technique. A shake aerates the cocktail too much and breaks the floral lychee character; a 25 to 30 second stir delivers the right chill and dilution. Use a quality raspberry vodka like Stoli Razberi and a fresh bottle of lychee liqueur like Soho or Kwai Feh for the standard build.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The raspberry vodka
- Use
- Stoli Razberi, Absolut Raspberri, or any 35 percent ABV raspberry-flavoured vodka.
- Skip
- Raspberry syrup with plain vodka. Different sweetness curve.
- Why
- Raspberry vodka is the load-bearing spirit and the lead flavour. The fruit-and-grain character delivers the raspberry profile while keeping the cocktail spirit-forward; raspberry syrup with plain vodka throws off the sweetness balance.
The lychee liqueur
- Use
- Soho Lychee Liqueur or Kwai Feh.
- Skip
- Lychee syrup or lychee juice. No alcohol, wrong texture.
- Why
- Lychee liqueur is the floral middle of the cocktail. The lychee-and-rose character delivers the floral lift that gives the Zombitini its profile; without it the cocktail is just a raspberry vodka martini.
The garnish
- Use
- Three fresh raspberries on a cocktail pick and one whole lychee fruit on the rim, with a thin drizzle of raspberry sauce.
- Skip
- Frozen raspberries. Wrong texture, water-logs the cocktail.
- Why
- The fresh raspberries and the lychee fruit are the visual signature and the flavour completion. The fresh fruit adds a juice-burst on each sip that the spirits and liqueurs alone do not deliver; the raspberry sauce drizzle adds the colour accent that gives the cocktail its name presentation.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Zombitini, stirred
- Two and a half ounces of raspberry vodka and one and a half ounces of lychee liqueur, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass. Garnished with raspberries and a lychee fruit.
The dry build
- Zombitini, with vermouth
- Add a quarter ounce of dry vermouth to the standard build. Pulls the cocktail toward a traditional martini; drier and slightly more aromatic.
The fizzy build
- Zombitini, topped with prosecco
- Build the standard cocktail in a flute. Top with two ounces of cold prosecco. Drinks like a sparkling fruit-cocktail; closer to a French 75 with raspberry-lychee.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Plain vodka with a quarter ounce of raspberry liqueur. Different sweetness curve, holds the raspberry character.
Elderflower liqueur like St-Germain. Different flavour, holds the floral lift.
A small splash of raspberry liqueur. Loses the fresh-fruit garnish, holds the raspberry colour.
A maraschino cherry as a substitute. Different fruit, different colour, holds the garnish presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Zombitini cocktail?
Two and a half ounces of raspberry vodka and one and a half ounces of lychee liqueur, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass. Garnished with three fresh raspberries on a pick and one whole lychee on the rim.
Why is it called a Zombitini?
The name plays on the Zombie cocktail (the tiki classic) and the martini format. The Zombitini is neither tiki nor traditional martini but a bridge between the two styles, with a fruit-forward profile that suits the bridge name.
How strong is a Zombitini?
Around 30 percent ABV in the glass once stirred. Two and a half ounces of raspberry vodka at 35 percent ABV and one and a half ounces of lychee liqueur at 18 percent ABV gives a moderately strong cocktail.
What does it taste like?
Sweet raspberry up front, soft lychee floral through the middle, faint vodka warmth on the finish. Reads like a fruit-bar martini, sweet up front and lychee-floral on the finish.
Should I shake or stir?
Stir. A shake aerates the cocktail too much and breaks the floral lychee character; a 25 to 30 second stir delivers the right chill and dilution while preserving the floral profile.
What is lychee liqueur?
Lychee liqueur is a floral fruit liqueur made from the lychee fruit, around 18 percent ABV. Soho Lychee Liqueur and Kwai Feh are the most widely available; the flavour profile is sweet lychee with a faint rose-floral note.
Can I make it without lychee liqueur?
Possible but loses the cocktail's signature. Elderflower liqueur like St-Germain works as a substitute and holds the floral lift; without any floral element the cocktail becomes a plain raspberry vodka martini.
What other cocktails are similar?
A French Martini, a Cosmopolitan, an Espresso Martini and a Pomegranate Martini. All four sit in the fruit-martini family and lean on a fruit flavour for the sweeter profile.
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