Chili Martini Recipe
This post was one of our first recipe posts back in 2008. An oldie but goodie!
Please, don’t cringe at the name of this cocktail. Give me a chance to quickly explain this fabulous drink to you before you frown at the thought of a spicy cocktail (for those of you spice hounds who are already drooling, please immediately proceed to the recipe and mix yourself a few glasses!) I’ve always appreciated drinks of all sorts. From sweet, pretty, fruity concoctions that make me giggle like a girl to straight from the bottle whiskey that almost grows hairs on my chest, I enjoy them all.
Best Chili Martini Recipe
It all started during my six big days of eating and drinking at the Club Med Food and Wine Festival in Ixtapa, Mexico with Jaden. Every day was fabulous and filled with mixology demonstrations from some of the finest bartenders in Mexico. Our thirsty group of Jaden, Kim, Kate , Morgan, Jay, and I took advantage of every sample and sip that was offered to us. We’re all adventurous folks and accepting of anything inebriating, especially when it was all free! But the most memorable one was the chili martini cocktail infused with a healthy dose of fresh serrano chili.
I’ve had many cocktails in my days, but never anything with spicy, chili undertones. This was like a revelation, it rocked my cocktail world.
The first fruity sip of peach and hint of chili blended together nicely, but after that, it was magic. The slow, smooth tinge of serrano chili heat that flowed down my throat afterward was warming, exciting and delicious. The slightly grassy/fruity blend of the serrano heat, coupled with the sweet nectar of the peach juice was just so different, but satisfying and addicting. Of course, you can add just as much heat as you like, but a little bit of chili goes a long way. We’ve made it with red thai chili’s as well and the results are just as wonderful. Use what ever chili you wish!
I was perfectly happy with the amount of blend spicy and fruity balance of the chili cocktail martini. There wasn’t too much heat to make me uncomfortable nor to put my mouth on fire, but just enough to make me always CRAVE a chili martini. Besides, a girl should never stop adding a bit of spice to her life!
Cheers,
-Diane
Basti, the fabulous chili martini bartender
Check out our Cocktail Recipes Here and our Complete Whiskey Guide. 
Chili Martini Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Serrano or Thai chili (or adjust amount to your heat preference)
- 1/2 ounce (15ml) simple syrup
- 1 1/2 ounces (45ml) Gin or Vodka
- 2 ounces (60ml) peach, nectarine, or pineapple juice
Instructions
- Clean the chili and remove the seeds. In a shaker, muddle the chili with simply syrup.
- Add gin (or vodka) and juice of choice (peach, nectarine, or pineapple) to the shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish if desired. For a sweeter treat, sugar the rim before pouring cocktail.
Yes i like trying new drinks heard Phyllis order this drink Chili martini on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. I MIX it myself thank you!
I had a chilli martini last night and it was AMAZING! Its not spicy (unless you eat the chilli) but has a slight edge to it.
That’s wimpy stuff! Straight 2:1 Gin:Vermouth but with Tabasco chilli olives – lots of them at least 6 – for me. Of course I plan to make a raw Thai green chilli-stuffed olive (those tiny fiery devils – with all the seeds of course) Martini when I next go to Thailand. Just watch the fire!
Found your blog a week ago. Love your creativity, style and wonderful setup for the photographs. Well done!
Tried the Chilli Martinis on Friday night with my lovely wife. WOW. Fantastic. Subtly balanced flavors of chilli, peach and vodka – the right combination of spice and sweetness – so nice. Wait till our friends get to try this.
That’s a really interesting drink! I’m sure my wife would be pissed if I made it and didn’t warn her, lol, but I’d be thrilled with it. It sounds really tasty
Oh, MAN! I wish peaches were in season right now! It’s “Tiki Night” here tomorrow; I know what I’M drinking, even if I DO have to use peach nectar!!! Thanks for the recipe!!! (You guys ROCK – seriously!! *grin*)
As soon as I read this I ran and made a couple for my husband and I. LOVED IT!!!!
wow – love love LOVE this idea! i’m wondering if that bit of hotness makes one drink faster. when i’ve got a spicy tongue i want to keep drinking! that’s why beers at a mexican restaurant go way quicker than i’d like them to! very creative.
Intriguing…. Very, very intriguing
awesome. I bet it would go great with mango too.
You should start selling your pictures to mags. You do a better job.
Chili and peach sound so strange, yet I can imagine them being a great combination! I may give this a try with gin, rather than vodka.
You are such a funny girl! I love chili tinged sweetness. Great pics, babe!! Does Todd wear those headphone thingies when he mixes drinks for you? 🙂 xxoo
don’t worry–i didn’t cringe. instead, my mouth began watering and my lips curled into a smile. 🙂
Ooh this looks absolutely amazing. The split chili is such a cute touch.
Yum, sounds amazing and a great way to keep the vaca buzz going 🙂
yes, I would have to say Basti is fabulous. the drink looks good too.
Yum! Looks divine…
definitely drooling here … I like it hot! 😀
Not a great cocktail drinker, however awesome photos
Sounds positively dangerous.
Wonderful photo. The red Thai chili is just right.
Sounds fantastic! I found some naga jolokia chili’s this weekend but I’m afraid to try them.
Hey, I love the double entendre in the name (chilly chili martini). I don’t know though if I could really take it…I am a little weak with alcohol and spice.
My favorite drink in the whole world is a spicy chili margarita from a restaurant called Ring of Fire in Eugene, Or. They infuse bottles of tequila with hot chili peppers and use it to make the drink. The result is a sweet/sour/hot margarita that I can’t get enough of! I don’t know why it never occurred to me that I could make a spicy drink at home by simply muddling a fresh hot chili with the liquor and/or syrup then just straining it. Brilliant!
I was waiting for this one since you tweeted about it and when I saw my foodgawker feed, I knew who had made it 🙂 It looks excellent and perfectly balanced in terms of flavors…This one is gonna go a long way as I know a lot more takers for this than just me.
I saw this first thing this morning… and had to come back at a reasonable hour to take a peak! I love the idea of a chili-peach martini, especially now that it’s well after noon 🙂
Ah, but my Southeast Asian roots are kicking in and to the chili I say: bring it awwwn! No cringing here, but the exact opposite. Maybe, er, quivering with excitement (hee, that’s kind of gross…). As you know I’m not much of a cocktail man but the combination of peach and chili sounds terrific!
Sounds awesome! What time are you all serving cocktails? I’ll be right over! ; )
the photos are absolutely gorgeous!! Too gorgeous, in fact… it’s 11am here and I feel like an alcoholic wanting to try a sip of that cocktail 🙂
This sounds fabulous. Plymouth Gin is my martini gin – smooth and delicious, the gin of Winston Churchill (a pretty good recommendation, I would say). I either make what would be considered a gibson using Tipsy Onions (cocktail onions brined in vermouth) or a martini with Santa Barbara Olives stuffed with a habarnero pepper (hot!), so I know I will love this. I’m going to check the rest of the list out too. Yum.
Looks so yumm. I have had chillie vodka.
Checked your recipe, simple syrup is that sugar syrup.
This sounds like something I’d love! I love spicy…n food and in drinks 🙂 When I have a bloody mary I like it to be spicy enough to score my throat! MMM! This martini sounds awesome!
Glad I finally made my way over to your wonderful blog….this martini looks fabulous. Perfect for our tropical like weather here in Sydney. Cheers!