My childhood memories of Valentine’s Day bring back the flavors of hot, fiery cinnamon Red Hots.  And if you’ve made my Homemade Fireball, you know I LOVE fiery cinnamon cocktails!  So, I bring you my latest Valentine cocktail….the Red Hot Martini, it’s beautiful AND delicious!

Finding the right ingredients for my cocktails takes lots of trial and error.  Thanks to my wonderful friends and neighbors who help me “practice drink” so I can get my cocktails just right!! 🙂

When creating this special cocktail I knew the key flavors would be my yummy cinnamon simple syrup and vodka.  All I needed was a way to make the color red, without using any artificial coloring or added juice that would take away from the cinnamon flavor I was craving.  After much fun experimenting, I found my solution, I would infuse the vodka with strawberries, just long enough to turn it a beautiful pinkish-red hue.

The result is what I bring you…a delectable combo of cinnamon and vodka, with the slightest essence of strawberry, chilled in a cocktail shaker to perfection and served straight-up.  Divine!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

~ Gena

Red Hot Martini

Ingredients:
Makes four martinis

• approximately 12 oz vodka (try Colorado organic vodka from Whistling Hare Distillery)- 2 oz vodka will be used for each individual martini but some will get absorbed by the strawberries.
• 4 strawberries
• 12 oz Cinnamon Simple Syrup
• ice

Directions:

• Wash and quarter strawberries and place in a 16 oz glass or measuring cup.
• Cover with vodka and seal with plastic wrap.  (Strawberries should be covered completely, don’t let air get to the berries.)  Let stand until vodka is desired color.  It will be ready in as little as an hour or two.  I used mine after 1 day. Once the color is out of the strawberries, remove the berries and discard.
• Pour 8 oz strawberry infused vodka and 12 oz Cinnamon Simple Syrup,  into a cocktail shaker and shake for 30 seconds or until outside of shaker is frosty. (May need to shake in batches, depending on size of your cocktail shaker.)
• Pour into martini glasses.
• Enjoy!!