Tomatini
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 20.2% ABV ∙
The Tomatini is a savory-sweet vodka cocktail built on fresh muddled tomato, white balsamic vinegar, lemon, and syrup, shaken and served up like a martini. Ripe tomato sweetness meets a bright vinegar tang and clean vodka, with a peppery top note and a crisp, dry finish — an unusual warm-weather aperitif.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Prepare black pepper and a cherry tomato for garnish
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Cherry tomato 3 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients and shake with ice: Vodka 60 mlWhite balsamic vinegar 5 mlLemon juice 15 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Dust with grinds of black pepper and garnish with a cherry tomato cut to sit on the glass rim
Tips
- Muddle the tomatoes gently first, then add the other ingredients with ice — this pulls flavor without shredding seeds into the drink.
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; underripe fruit reads flat and needs the sugar syrup pushed up slightly.
History
The Tomatini was created in 2010 by bartender Jimmy Barrat for LPM Restaurant & Bar in Dubai. Drawing on the French Riviera, Barrat wanted to treat the tomato as a ripe warm-weather fruit rather than a savory ingredient: instead of a Bloody Mary–style drink, he played up the tomato's natural sweetness, rounding it with white balsamic vinegar and a little simple syrup.
The cocktail found an audience well beyond Dubai and later appeared on the menu at LPM's location in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
FAQ
What is in a Tomatini?
Fresh cherry tomato, vodka, white balsamic vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sugar syrup. The tomato is muddled, then everything is shaken with ice and double-strained into a coupe, finished with grated black pepper and a cherry tomato garnish.
How do you make a tomato martini?
Muddle fresh tomato in a shaker, add vodka, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with ice, then shake hard to chill. Double-strain into a coupe and grate black pepper over the top before garnishing with a cherry tomato.
Is a Tomatini shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The tomato is muddled first, then the drink is shaken with ice and double-strained to chill it and remove pulp, giving a clean, bright result rather than the clear, spirit-forward look of a stirred martini.
What glass is a Tomatini served in?
A coupe glass, served up without ice. The chilled, strained drink is topped with grated black pepper and garnished with a cherry tomato.
How is a Tomatini different from a Bloody Mary?
A Tomatini plays up the tomato's sweetness with white balsamic vinegar and a touch of syrup, served up and delicate, while a Bloody Mary is a savory, spiced, longer drink built on tomato juice over ice.
