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 mlSaline solution 2 dashes
- 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.
- Double-strain through a fine-mesh strainer to catch tomato pulp and seeds for a clean, clear pour.
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; underripe fruit reads flat and needs the sugar syrup pushed up slightly.
- Grate the black pepper over the surface just before serving so its aroma hits the nose first.
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.
