Wasabi Martini
Stir; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 21.7% ABV ∙
The Wasabi Martini is a stirred-then-shaken vodka Martini variant infused with wasabi paste and cut with fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, garnished with nori. Sharp horseradish-like heat flashes up front, cooled fast by tart lemon and a touch of sweetness, with a savory nori edge on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Squeeze a pea-sized quantity of Wasabi paste 1 pea onto a bar spoon and stir with Vodka 60 ml until wasabi dissolves
- Add the remaining ingredients: Lemon juice 20 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a nori strip
Tips
- Dissolve the wasabi paste directly into the vodka on a bar spoon first — this spreads the heat evenly instead of leaving hot pockets.
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its snap while you finish the garnish.
- Use only a pea-sized amount of wasabi — it's easy to overpower the lemon and sugar syrup with too much heat.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to keep any wasabi grit out of the finished drink.
History
The Wasabi Martini is credited to bartender Philippe Guidi, who created it in 2004 at Morton's in London, England. It belongs to the wave of flavored, vodka-based "-tini" drinks that followed the classic gin-and-vermouth Martini's name and glassware but abandoned its ingredients, and reviewers have noted the drink is really closer to a savory, spiced vodka sour than a true Martini.
Its direct lineage runs through the Fruit Martini, the broader style of sweetened, fruit-forward vodka Martinis that spread through cocktail menus from the 1980s and 1990s onward. Where a Fruit Martini builds its flavor from fruit purees, juices, or liqueurs, the Wasabi Martini swaps that fruit-driven sweetness for a savory, sinus-clearing heat from wasabi paste balanced against citrus and sugar.
FAQ
Is there a wasabi cocktail?
Yes, the Wasabi Martini dissolves wasabi paste into vodka before shaking it with citrus and syrup, then strains it up with a nori strip garnish.
How do you make a Wasabi Martini?
Stir a pea-sized amount of wasabi paste into vodka on a bar spoon until it dissolves, then add fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, shake with ice, and fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass garnished with a nori strip.
What is a wet martini?
A wet martini is a Martini made with a relatively higher proportion of vermouth, giving it a softer, less spirit-forward taste than a dry martini. The Wasabi Martini is a different style of Martini variant altogether, built on vodka, wasabi, lemon juice, and sugar syrup rather than vermouth.
