You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (2024)

A favorite fall co*cktail for good reason, this irresistible pumpkin martini offers the sweet taste of traditional pumpkin pie in a glass. Made with vanilla vodka, cream liqueur, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice, this pumpkin pie martini is quick and delicious. It's a great start or finish to a holiday meal, and also a fabulous way to use up excess ingredients from your holiday pie-making endeavors.

What's You'll Need to Make This Fabulous Fall co*cktail

  • Vanilla vodka—While you can certainly use plain vodka for this co*cktail, vanilla vodka has a slight sweetness and its vanilla flavor makes it an excellent base for a pumpkin martini.
  • Irish cream—This creamy liqueur delivers a lusciousness that transforms the drink into the ultimate dessert co*cktail.
  • Pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice—A combination of pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice gives this martini the flavor of a real slice of pumpkin pie. You can make both the purée and spice mix from scratch rather quickly—or pick them up at the store to make this drink even easier.
  • Finely crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and cinnamon sticks—Rimming the co*cktail glasses with sweetened and spiced graham crackers and adding a cinnamon stick garnish completes the pumpkin pie experience. This recipe makes enough of the rimming mixture for four co*cktails but it's easily scaled up for more drinks.

How to Serve Pumpkin Martinis

This co*cktail is thick and rich and can act as a dessert on its own for Thanksgiving or other holiday meals or whenever you crave a yummy pumpkin co*cktail. It's also fantastic when paired with non-pumpkin autumn desserts like apple crumble or vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Martini

  • Skip the pumpkin pie vodka—While pumpkin pie vodka does exist, using it along with the spices and flavorings that are already in this recipe can lead to a cloying, overly spiced drink, so we recommend sticking to vanilla vodka. If you do use pumpkin vodka, give it a taste first and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
  • Don't confuse pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie filling—This recipe calls for pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée typically contains just mashed winter squash, while pumpkin pie filling includes sweetener and spice, and will naturally create a slightly sweeter pumpkin martini. If you substitute pumpkin pie filling for pumpkin purée, use just 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and expect your drink to be a bit sweet.
  • Don't stress if you don't have pumpkin pie spice—You probably already have all the ingredients in your spice rack. To make a quick pumpkin pie spice, combine two tablespoons of ground cinnamon, one tablespoon of ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. This blend also makes an excellent pumpkin spice coffee.
  • Shake the co*cktail very well—Using pumpkin purée creates a very thick co*cktail, so extra dilution is essential. To lighten it up, be sure to shake the co*cktail very well, and much longer (30 seconds or more) than you would other co*cktails.

What You'll Need to Make This Pumpkin Martini Recipe

"If you like to drink your dessert, then this is the fall co*cktail for you. It's truly a boozy pumpkin pie in a glass. Make sure to shake it for a full 30 seconds and, if you'd like a super smooth co*cktail, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into the glass." —Laurel Randolph

You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons finely crushed graham crackers, for rimming

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for rimming

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided

  • 1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces Irish cream liqueur, plus more for rimming

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin purée

  • Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (5)

  2. In a small dish, combine 2 tablespoons finely crushed graham crackers, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, mixing into an even consistency. Pour a bit of Irish cream into a second small dish. Rim a co*cktail glass by dipping the rim into the Irish cream, then rolling it in the graham cracker mixture, tapping off any excess. Place the glass in the freezer for a quick chill while making the co*cktail.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (6)

  3. In a co*cktail shaker, pour 1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka, 1 1/2 ounces of Irish cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin purée, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice. Fill the shaker with ice.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (7)

  4. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (8)

  5. Strain into the prepared co*cktail glass.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (9)

  6. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

    You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (10)

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Switch out the cream liqueur—Rather than Irish cream use another cream liqueur, such as RumChata.
  • Swap rum for the vodka—While vanilla vodka is a natural choice for a pumpkin pie martini, this drink is also really interesting when made with vanilla or spiced rum.
  • Add some intrigue with rye—For extra spice, replace the vodka with a bold rye whiskey.

How Strong Is a Pumpkin Martini?

This pumpkin martini is similar in strength to other vodka martinis. The average vanilla vodka is bottled at 70 proof (though some are 80 proof), and that lowers the co*cktail's alcohol content slightly, but not too much. Generally, this pumpkin martini will weigh in around 21 percent ABV (42 proof). It's a strong drink, though it's so thick and luscious that you'll likely only want one in a night.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
373Calories
2g Fat
45g Carbs
1g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories373
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g2%
Saturated Fat 0g2%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 61mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 45g16%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg11%
Calcium 48mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 119mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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You'll Fall for This Pumpkin Martini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Who is the most famous martini drinker? ›

Here are some of the most famous martini drinkers in history: Winston Churchill. Humphrey Bogart. James Bond.

What is the ratio for a Hemingway martini? ›

It's said that Hemingway preferred a 15:1 ratio, known as a Montgomery Martini, whilst Churchill thought that having vermouth in the presence of a Martini was enough. In other words, the drier the Martini, the more famous you're likely to become!

Who did martini make a drink for? ›

Some New York sources insist that a bartender at the Knickerbocker Hotel, named Martini di Arma di Taggia, invented the Martini in 1911 for America's first billionaire, John B. Rockerfeller, co-founder of the Standard Oil Company.

What kind of martini did Queen Elizabeth drink? ›

By various accounts, it is confirmed that she enjoyed a dry martini in the evening and a glass of champagne as a nightcap. At dinner, and sometimes at lunch, she sipped a glass of sweet German wine. And before lunch, this one. The Dubonnet and gin co*cktail is little more than the name implies.

How did Sean Connery like his martini? ›

According to Fleming's description, the drink was "shaken and not stirred" and served with a twist of lemon. It wasn't until the films that the vodka martini truly became Bond's go-to drink. In "Dr. No," the first Bond film, Sean Connery famously ordered the now-iconic co*cktail, cementing its place in the Bond canon.

What is a Marilyn Monroe martini? ›

Ingredients. 3/4 ounce apple brandy. 1 teaspoon grenadine. 3/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine. 2 maraschino cherries.

What is a $100 martini? ›

How do you pour a C-note in a glass? Stoli Elit Vodka, Grand Marnier 150 and Courvoisier. Garnish with chutzpah. At a hundred bucks, be sure to ask for it shaken and stirred. The $100 martini is part of Lee Lewis' martini makeover at El Gaucho.

How do you make a Martha Stewart martini? ›

Directions. Shake or stir 1/2 cup vodka or gin and 1 1/2 teaspoons vermouth in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with olives, caper berries, or onions. Repeat with remaining vodka or gin and vermouth.

Are you supposed to put the prosecco shot in the martini? ›

“l*ttle do people know, the Prosecco shot should actually be sipped before drinking the p*rnstar Martini, to cleanse the palate before enjoying the co*cktail. “If you've been shotting the Prosecco before, after, or even pouring it in – you're doing it wrong.

What actor is known for martinis? ›

Famous martini drinkers include Kingsley Amis, Sherwood Anderson, Robert Benchley, Humphrey Bogart, Luis Buñuel, George Burns, James Carville, Sir Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, W.C.

What does James Bond drink? ›

Although there is a lot of discussion on the Vesper, it is only ordered once throughout Fleming's novels and by later books Bond is ordering regular vodka martinis, though he also drinks regular gin martinis. In total, Bond orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout Fleming's novels and short stories.

What celebrity loves martinis? ›

Famous martini drinkers include Kingsley Amis, Sherwood Anderson, Robert Benchley, Humphrey Bogart, Luis Buñuel, George Burns, James Carville, Sir Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, W.C.

Who was the greatest drinker of all time? ›

You won't find it in the Guinness Book of World Records, but Andre the Giant holds the world record for the largest number of beers consumed in a single sitting. These were standard 12-ounce bottles of beer, nothing fancy, but during a six-hour period Andre drank 119 of them.

How many martinis did James Bond drink? ›

Although there is a lot of discussion on the Vesper, it is only ordered once throughout Fleming's novels and by later books Bond is ordering regular vodka martinis, though he also drinks regular gin martinis. In total, Bond orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout Fleming's novels and short stories.

Who made the dirty martini famous? ›

Around 1901 someone decided to give the Martini a salty kick. It is, “believed” that across the country in New York, a bartender named John O' Connor took the groundbreaking step of muddling olives and adding a splash of olive brine.

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