We spent the summer in Thailand, and we sure found some amazing food. I also found a favorite fruit and cocktail rolled into one – a Lychee Martini. Oh yeah! Since it’s close to Halloween, I’m going to give you my fave Lychee Martini recipe with a bit of a spooky twist to it. Let me know what you think of this super cool concoction by leaving a comment below!

Rambutan

So, what the heck is a lychee? Well, it’s a white, fleshed fruit that is slightly sweet. It tastes similar to a softer, small pear. There are different kinds of lychee – regular lychee with red skin which feels similiar to elephant skin; then, there is the rambutan which tastes similar but has funny-looking, prickly skin. Both can be used for this recipe. I prefer the lychee because they have a smaller seed. They are both Asian fruit and can be found in the fruit aisle or in the International aisle at your grocery store. For this recipe, I am using canned lychee so I can use the juice, too.

Regular Version
Makes 1 martini

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz quality vodka
• 1.5 oz peach Schnapps (you can substitute Triple-Sec or Cointreau)
• 1.5 oz lychee juice
• 1-2 canned lychee (seed removed)

Directions
Get your cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Add all ingredients, except the fruit, to the shaker. Shake over the ice and let sit a moment to chill. In a martini glass, add your 2 lychee fruit – just drop them in the bottom of your glass. Pour the chilled mixture over the fruit – VOILA – you have an amazing martini. If you want to get a little fancier, feel free to skewer your lychee with a colorful toothpick or cocktail pick.

Halloween Version Muwahahaha! 

You will need all of the ingredients above plus fresh/frozen blueberries and strawberry jelly/or glaze. These are for the eyeball garnish.

Take your lychee fruit, seeds removed, and fill them with strawberry jelly or glaze, about 1/4 to 1/2 full. Then, take a blueberry and stick it in the middle of the lychee – don’t be afraid to let the strawberry glaze ooze out a little bit – the grosser the better.

Eww! Doesn’t it look like an EYEBALL? Place your eyeball lychees into the freezer to set. Once they are frozen, you can pop them into your martini glass and pour the mixture (follow instructions above) into your glass. If you want a spookier cocktail (as if floating eyeballs are not enough), rim your glass with strawberry glaze, and let it run down the sides before you make the drink. Spooky and tasty!

For the kids – still gross and tasty

These lychee eyeballs are also great for the kids – you can pop them into cherry soda or cherry Kool-Aid, and they are a huge hit on Halloween night! Rim the glass in strawberry glaze, let it run down the side, and yippee – scary and gross for Halloween!

Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think! Happy Halloween!

– Stacey