Spring has officially sprung.
Which means that here in Santa Barbara we’re having days that are consistently in the 70’s temperature-wise which subsequently means my motivation to spend my days inside in the kitchen has tanked and all I want to do is head down to the beach and sip on Orange Creamsicle Martinis all day. Who’s with me?
In all seriousness, though, I am trying to be much more productive with my work days so I can take at least 40 minutes in the afternoon to go outside for a little walk around the neighborhood. I have noticed such a huge difference in my mood from just that little bit of Vitamin D. Plus, it smells insanely good outside right now with all of the flowers blooming. I have all of our windows open as we speak so I can catch that fresh spring smell whenever a little breeze comes through.
This changing of the seasons also has me brainstorming a bunch of spring-appropriate cocktails, and this Orange Creamsicle Martini is one of those. As I was leafing through one of my latest issues of Bon Appetit or Food & Wine (can’t remember which one at the moment,) I came across an article that was touching on some restaurants around the country that have come up with fun, inventive brunch cocktails. In other words: not your average mimosa.
I can’t remember which restaurant it was, but one cocktail that was mentioned was an Orange Creamsicle concoction of some sort. This one was a bit more elaborate than the average home mixologist (including myself) might dare to embark upon, with things like heavy cream and egg whites being involved, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued and decided I wanted to come up with my own make-at-home version.
I couldn’t be happier with the results of my little experiment. This Orange Creamsicle Martini is one for the books. Plus, it has all the creamy flavor of the classic treat with absolutely NO dairy. That’s right folks, even my lactose-intolerant friends can enjoy this beauty!
So here’s the scoop on how we get all of the delicious flavor with just four ingredients:
First, we all know I’m a fan of minimally processed ingredients, so I decided to make my own vanilla vodka rather than buying a bottle of that artificially flavored junk. This also meant that I could just take the amount of vodka I needed for two cocktails (the amount this recipe makes) and infuse that rather than having to invest in a whole bottle of vanilla-flavored stuff that may otherwise go unused.
Ready for the “big” (not-so-big) secret for how I made the vanilla-infuse vodka? It’s as simple as adding a half of a split vanilla bean to the called-for amount the night before you want to whip these Orange Creamsicle Martinis up. So, maybe tonight?
And that’s literally the hardest part. After you have your vanilla bean-infused vodka, simply shake it up with some orgeat and the freshest orange juice you can find. That’s it! Then just prepare yourself for an incredible flavor-bomb that will forever change the way you weekend brunch. Orange Creamsicle Martinis are not to be messed with.
This would be the perfect cocktail for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, or really any excuse you have to drink cocktails before noon. I mean, it’s loaded with Vitamin C, which practically makes it a health food, right?
Have a fantastic April weekend and check out some other fun brunch cocktail ideas below! Xo
The perfect brunch cocktail for spring, this dairy-free martini tastes just like your favorite frozen treat with vanilla-infused vodka and fresh orange juice.
- 4 ounces vodka
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split down the middle
- 1 ounce orgeat
- 8 ounces orange juice
- Orange wheels for garnish (optional)
The night before you want to make your cocktails, place the vodka and vanilla bean in a Mason jar or other sealed container. Let soak overnight.
In the morning, remove the vanilla bean from the vodka. Add the infused vodka, orgeat and orange juice to a cocktail shaker filled ¾ of the way with ice. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds.
Strain the contents of the shaker into two martini glasses or coupes. Garnish with an orange wheel, if desired.
Here are some other fun brunch cocktails to try!
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