White Wine Martini

A traditional 50/50 Martini combines equal parts gin and dry vermouth, with a dash of orange bitters and a twist. The White Wine Martini follows the same formula but swaps dry vermouth for white wine, creating an even lighter, brighter Martini variation.

This recipe was developed by Jeremy Buck, owner of Coterie in Charleston, South Carolina, after his sommelier sister-in-law, Amanda McCrossin, introduced him to Massican winemaker Dan Petroski’s favorite white wine Martini hack.

“I actually found that using wine instead of vermouth was very intuitive because you’re basically adding all the aromas and flavors that you would with vermouth — just without the sugar or the added alcohol,” says Petroski.

Why the White Wine Martini works

Besides being a little lower in alcohol, this aperitif-style cocktail is often slightly drier and less acidic than a typical Martini. But that all depends on the bottles being used. Because this drink calls for equal parts gin and wine and contains so few ingredients, the styles of both greatly influence the final result.

“The fun with this Martini is the choice of wine and gin to pair [it with],” says Buck. “If you like a dry Martini, then something super dry and clean will bring out the botanicals of a London dry gin without getting weird at the finish.” Conversely, an acid-driven wine with lighter fruit will pair well with a gin that has plenty of citrus and herbal notes.

If you prefer your Martini with a generous vermouth component, Buck recommends choosing something off-dry, with a slight honeyed sweetness, “to give some more base structure for a bolder gin.”

The one wine style to avoid in a White Wine Martini? “I would stay away from going down the oaky/buttery/creamy direction, as it is going to get weird and combine strangely with the gin,” says Buck. “There are uses for these wines in cocktails, but they don’t really work for the Martini. Otherwise, the world is your oyster.”

As with the classic 50/50 Martini, traditional orange bitters work best here, alongside a lemon twist, helping bring the cocktail’s citrus flavors to the forefront.