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Hawksmoor Apple Martini

By
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski is a freelance writer specializing in cocktails and spirits and a bartender at Lawrence Park in Hudson, NY.
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Published 03/21/22
Hawskmoor Apple Martini

Hawskmoor NYC

The Appletini, the much-maligned ’90s classic, was once so ubiquitous it became a cultural punchline, used everywhere from Scrubs to The Social Network as shorthand for questionable taste. Originally a fairly delicious combination of vodka, apple schnapps, and house-made sour mix, garnished with lemon-water-soaked Granny Smith apple slices, somewhere along the line as it spread across the country it devolved into an overly saccharine mixture associated with chain restaurants and a general lack of sophistication. Ultimately, it fell out of favor as fresh juices and other quality cocktail ingredients became more widely used.

But as with other members of the ’Tini family (most notably the Espresso Martini and the Cosmopolitan), the Appletini is seeing a resurgence. This elevated version comes from Hawksmoor NYC, the stateside branch of a popular London-based group of steakhouses.

“When we put the Apple Martini on the Hawksmoor NYC menu, we wanted to take a drink that was viewed as pretty awful and do a delicious, modern version of it,” says Adam Montgomerie, the bar manager at the restaurant. His version uses both apple and pear eaux de vie, plus a touch of verjus, Lillet blanc, simple syrup, and a malic acid mixture. An apple blossom floated in the drink provides an elegant finishing touch.

“It tastes like biting into a fresh, bright, green apple and is bright and refreshing,” says Montgomerie. It’s a rare entry into the fruity-Tini category that bears the crisp refreshing qualities of a true Martini, earning its name through function and not just form.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 ounces apple eau de vie (Hawksmoor uses Neversink)

  • 1/2 ounce pear eau de vie (Hawksmoor uses Clear Creek)

  • 1/2 ounce Lillet blanc

  • 1/2 teaspoon verjus

  • 1/2 teaspoon malic acid EDV*

  • 1/2 teaspoon rich simple syrup

  • Garnish: apple blossom flower

Steps

  1. Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass (Riedel preferred).

  3. Garnish with an apple blossom flower.

*Malic Acid EDV: Combine 10 grams malic acid and 100 grams apple eau de vie and stir until the acid is fully dissolved. Will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to one month.