Red Martini Recipes Theme Party
What is a martini? According to the language police, a martini is nothing more than a drink made with unequal portions of gin and vermouth. According to martini lovers and cocktail party enthusiasts, however, a martini is whatever you make it!
One of the best ways to give your guests an evening to remember is with martini recipes they’ll never forget. So instead of throwing a generic beer ‘n’ chips get-together, why not make things really special with a martini-recipe theme party. It doesn’t take a lot of time, effort, or money. All you need is a little creativity and the desire to take martini recipes to the next level.
So if you love martinis and have been thinking about throwing a cocktail party based on a great martini recipe, this article is for you! Today’s hosts and hostesses are making up their own martini recipes and then throwing parties to celebrate their creations! (It’s a great excuse to stock up on some hip, new martini glasses, too!)
This is our #1 Martini Recipe Theme Party, complete with ideas for music, decorations, food...and red martini recipes, of course!
Martini Recipes Party - The Red Party
If you decide to throw a Red Party, you’ll have the chance to serve a variety of popular martini recipes where the finished product ranges from a pale blush to scarlet. This is an obvious choice for Valentine’s Day, but it works just as well for Halloween and Fourth of July.
A Martini Recipes Theme Party featuring red martinis can also be a great fundraiser! You can ask your guests to make donations to the local Red Cross!
Drink Up – Red Martini Recipes
There are many red cocktails to choose from, and the Cosmo is probably the best known. It gets its purple-red hue from cranberry juice.
- 1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
- 1 oz vodka
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Splash cranberry juice
The Mix
- Put first three ingredients into shaker filled with ice.
- Shake 8-10 times.
- Strain the mixture into the pre-chilled Martini glass
- Carefully and slowly add a splash of cranberry to get a red sunrise effect
Cosmos are always popular, but here’s another ‘hot’ red martini recipe that should fire-up your guests’ interest. It’s called the Red-Hot Mama Martini.
- 2 oz. Vodka
- ½ oz. Cherry juice (from the maraschino cherry jar)
- ¼ oz. Cinnamon Liqueur
- 2-3 maraschino cherries
The Mix
- Put first three ingredients into shaker filled with ice.
- Shake 8-10 times.
- Strain the mixture into the pre-chilled Martini glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry (Want to be REALLY glam? Spear 2-3 cherries with a red toothpick.)
Other martini recipes from the ‘red zone’ include the Cherry-Pop martini and the Red Apple Martini. The Red Appletini is especially interesting if you ‘sugar’ the rim of your martini glasses before serving. (Directions follow)
The Mix
- Put first three ingredients into shaker filled with ice.
- Shake 8-10 times.
- Strain the mixture into the pre-chilled Martini glass that has been rimmed with the raspberry flavored sugar
To rim martini glasses with sugar:
- Pour a small amount of grenadine onto a plate.
- Pour a small amount of sugar onto another plate
- First place the rim of chilled martini glasses into the grenadine
- Carefully rotate the martini glasses until their edges have been moistened evenly all around
- Gently set the rim of the glass into the sugar for a moment and then remove.
Eat Up
Hors d’oeuvers and cocktails go together. Proteins, fats, and dense carbohydrates all help slow intoxication. So if you’d like your guests to enjoy the evening and not have to pour them into taxis or give them a lift home when the party is over, be sure to offer plenty of food choices.
- Offer a mix of cold and hot hors d'oeuvres.
- Make 2 to 3 of each hors d’oeuvre per guest.
- Prepare a minimum of 3 kinds of hors d’oeuvres, and up to 5 for a deluxe party.
Keep it simple.
With martini glasses in hand, guests can’t deal with fussy hors d’oeuvres. Finger-friendly foods that can be given the ‘red’ treatment include:
- Toast Points – Spread with goat cheese and garnish with sundried tomatoes.
- Toothpick Kabobs – Create tiny one-bite kabobs with cherry tomatoes, cheese, and a slice of cucumber
- Mini Meatballs – Serve miniature meatballs with a thick, red tomato sauce
Red Martinis Party Decor
Red food can also be part of your décor. Let tomatoes be the star of your red martini recipes party buffet table. A large bowl or basket of red plum tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes makes a great centerpiece and can be eaten at the party or afterwards. Bowls of red M&M’s, Jelly Belly jelly beans, and cinnamon Red Hots will add more red to the fun.
Décor couldn’t be easier. Party stores and even supermarkets are likely to have a complete range of supplies in your chosen color, including streamers, table clothes, and cutlery and paper plates. You can even purchase inexpensive red light bulbs that simply screw in to your existing lamps and fixtures.
Look for martini glasses made of plastic to make clean up easy. Pick stems in red to go with the theme of your party. Do NOT buy completely red martini glasses for your drink service. Keep in mind that if your martini recipes are red, you’ll want to stick with clear martini glasses, otherwise they won’t look nice.
To give arriving guests the real ‘red carpet’ treatment, pick up an inexpensive remnant from a local carpet store. Do a series of pictures of your guests with their cocktail glasses and upload the photos to the web...just like they do on Oscar night!
Consider playing music by Simply Red, Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Red Rapture. Or get your red from song titles: Red, Red Wine; Lady in Red, Red Rubber Ball, or even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
You can make it a movie night. Consider The Hunt for Red October, The Red Violin, The Red Shoes, or Red Dragon. If you and your guests enjoy comedy, consider playing vintage ‘red humor’ radio sketches by Red Buttons or Red Skelton.
Two Things to Make a Party
Your Red Martini Recipes Theme Party doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can serve just one red martini recipe, instead of several. And spicy red salsa served with blue and yellow corn chips are a great pairing with red martini recipes. The chips and salsa are the perfect salty counterpoint to sweet martini recipes that use fruit juice.
A final thought!
We love martinis and we love a great cocktail party, but please enjoy your martini responsibly. Never, ever drink and drive - and never allow your party guests to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking...a designated driver is a must. Check out our alcohol free martini recipes!
So simple...but so much fun! (Don’t forget the cocktail napkins!)