Personally, when I am ready for a martini, I want my martini, and I want it immediately. Not in a Violet Beauregarde, "I want it, and I want it now" type of way, but in an, "Okay, do I have ice? I never replaced my old mixing glass. How much vermouth do I have?" way. And before you know it, suddenly I have a project.
Freezer door martinis, however? Mix it up once, and you can have four, five, six, seven, eight martinis ready and waiting for you in your freezer. Your only homework, then, is a chilled glass and garnish — which is great for those of us who never remember to make ice.
Freezer Door Martini
Anytime I sit down somewhere that isn't a dive bar (gin and tonic, please!) I always, always order a Hendrick's martini with a lemon twist. I like mine with dry vermouth, and I'll even take a blue cheese-stuffed olive garnish if they're readily available. Otherwise, lemon twist all day.
What I am not so great at is taking the time to meticulously stir my martini at home. I could shake it, yes. But I am notorious for never having more than a single king cube on hand at any given time. That's why freezer door martinis make the perfect solution.
These proportions and this recipe are based on a 375mL bottle of gin. So I'm building towards around 11 ounces of gin (or vodka) martini. For a 750mL bottle, double the recipe. The 375mL bottle yields approximately four freezer door martinis.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces gin or vodka
- 5 ounces dry vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1½ ounces water
- 1 lemon twist, optional
- 375mL (14-ounce) jar or bottle with lid
Instructions
- In a jar or bottle, add gin, dry vermouth, bitters, and water. If you like your martini with a lemon garnish because of the bright citrus notes, add a thick lemon peel.
- Cover and shake to mix.
- Store in the freezer for at least six hours.
- To serve, add 3 ounces of freezer door martini to a chilled martini glass or coupe.
- Garnish as desired.
Fast Fact
The reason you add water to freezer door martinis and other cocktails serves two purposes: to mimic the slight dilution you would get from stirring over ice and to help bring the temperature of the drink down a little bit more, as it takes some arctic temperatures to freeze liquor.
Freezer Door Cosmo
I know what you're wondering: won't the cranberry and lime juice cause this cosmo to freeze? Not at all. Despite the cosmo's reputation for being girly, it has more booze than an old-fashioned.
This recipe is for a 750mL bottle or jar, or 28 ounces, and it will make roughly seven to eight servings, depending on how heavy you pour.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces citron vodka
- 6 ounces orange liqueur
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3½ ounces cranberry juice
- 1½ ounces water
- Jar or bottle with lid
Instructions
- In jar or bottle, add citron vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice, cranberry juice, and water.
- Cover and shake firmly to mix.
- Store in the freezer for approximately six hours, preferably overnight.
- Before serving, shake to mix.
- In a chilled martini glass or coupe, add approximately 3½ ounces of freezer door cosmo.
Freezer Door Espresso Martini
For espresso martini fans who perhaps don't always have espresso on hand, come close, and we'll tell you a secret: you can and should use a strong coffee in this freezer door version. Why? The water in the coffee serves as the dilution.
If you're offended as an espresso martini purist, you can use espresso as usual, but you'll still need to add water for dilution. How you take care of that is up to you!
This makes approximately six freezer door espresso martinis. If you want it to have that typical frothy espresso martini look, add four ounces to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for twenty seconds before serving.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces vodka
- 6 ounces coffee liqueur
- 6 ounces chilled strong coffee OR 4 ounces espresso, 2 ounces water
- 1½ ounces simple syrup
- Jar or bottle with lid
Instructions
- In a bottle or jar, add vodka, coffee liqueur, coffee, and simple syrup.
- Shake well to mix.
- Store in the freezer for around six hours or overnight.
- Before serving, shake well.
- Add approximately 4 ounces to a chilled martini glass or coupe.
Freezer Door Lemon Drop Martini
There's something unabashedly simple yet complex about the lemon drop martini. It's no mystery what's behind those flavors — it will be tart, sweet, and boozy. And when you opt for a freezer door martini lemon drop, it somehow kicks those flavors up a notch.
This makes approximately five servings.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces vodka
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 ounces orange liqueur
- 3 ounces limoncello
- 1½ ounces simple syrup
- 1½ ounces water
- Jar or bottle with lid
Instructions
- In a jar or bottle, add vodka, lemon juice, orange liqueur, limoncello, simple syrup, and water.
- Cover and shake well.
- Store in the freezer for at least six hours, preferably overnight.
- Before serving, give a good shake.
- Serve 4½ ounces of mix in a chilled martini glass or coupe.
Freezer Door Vesper Martini
A vesper martini is booze on booze on booze on booze, and then a little more. So, there's no chance of these ingredients freezing. For that reason, you're going to add just a little bit more water than in other martinis to give it a chill and a balance of dilution. This makes approximately eight servings.
Ingredients
- 22 ounces gin
- 8 ounces vodka
- 4 ounces Lillet blanc
- 3½ ounces water
- Lemon twist, optional
- Bottle or jar with lid
Instructions
- In a bottle or jar, add gin, vodka, Lillet blanc, and water. Add the lemon twist if you want a touch of citrus.
- Swirl firmly to mix.
- Store in the freezer for around six hours or overnight.
- Before serving, give a firm swirl.
- Pour 4½ ounces into a chilled martini glass or coupe.
Freezer Door Dirty Martini
For those who love their martini on the briny, salty, savory side of life, the freezer door dirty martini will always be there for you — waiting to give you an ice-cold, glacial hug of delight. This makes approximately six servings.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces vodka or gin
- 4 ounces dry vermouth
- 4 ounces olive brine
- 2 ounces water
- Bottle or jar with lid
Instructions
- In a bottle or jar, add vodka, dry vermouth, olive brine, and water.
- Give a firm swirl to mix.
- Leave in the freezer for at least six hours or overnight.
- Before serving, give another few firm swirls.
- Pour approximately 4¼ ounces into a chilled martini glass or coupe.
Freezer Door Martini: Tips for Maximum Chill
As you embark on your quest to be the master and connoisseur of all things freezer door martinis, take a few notes before tackling your adventure.
- There's no place for spirits to hide, and these still aren't the place to use bottom-shelf spirits. You don't need to break open the top-shelf vodka, but you should opt for something smooth, like Tito's or Ketel One.
- Always add a little splash of water to your freezer door martini. The dilution is necessary, and it will help to chill the martini a little more than if you didn't. It won't ruin the martini if you forget, and you can always add a splash of water when serving. Stirring with ice after freezing won't have a similiar effect because the ice won't melt with the already-frozen temperature ingredients.
- Patience is a virtue! If you can, let these chill for more than six hours. Although, sometimes you need to make do in a pinch.
- Infused spirits work wonderfully in freezer door martinis. So go ahead and use an infused vodka in your cosmo, an earthy infused gin in your martini, or give your espresso martini a vanilla vodka touch.
Ice, Ice Tini
No ice, no problem. So long as you have a jar or bottle, the right ingredients, and some space in the freezer, you can have yourself an ice-cold martini on demand. Depending on how full your freezer is, you may need to make some room. But you weren't going to eat those frozen carrots anyways. You might as well make the space for something you will enjoy.
