Southside Sips: The Lychee Martini

Back in the early ’90s, martinis of all color and flavor were making quite a splash — sometimes, literally; the glasses we used to drink this stuff out of? Veritable troughs! Also, all those drinks circulating around back then — the Appletini, the Espresso Martini, the Lemon Drop Martini, the Cosmo — were more often than not as unbalanced as their enormous vessels. Sticky sweet stuff that made Little Debbie cakes seem downright savory.

But with a little restraint and a handy-dandy jigger to keep things in perspective, pretty much all of these drinks have, as of late, received decent enough makeovers to bring them back into the fore. Enter the Lychee Martini and one Taylor Swift.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the Lychee Martini got its start, but one spot that certainly can call itself one of the originators is the East Village spot Decibel (whose former sommelier opened the very excellent Sterling Sake in Greenport on the North Fork), which opened in 1993. Riffing on Japanese flavors was certainly in their wheelhouse, and the Lychee Martini was a popular serve.

Fast forward to August when ol’ Swifty was attending the 30th birthday party of soccer star Brittany Mahomes, where she was snapped jokingly balancing her Lychee Martini atop the birthday girl’s head. And if it’s good enough for the newly engaged T-Swizzle, well, come on. It can’t be all that bad.

In fact, our friends over at Bombay Sapphire have updated the drink with a hit of dry vermouth, adding a little savoriness to the sweet. Both Bridgehampton Wine Cellar (2102 Montauk Highway, Bridgehapton, 631-537-1230) and Bottle Hampton (850 County Road 39, Southampton, 631-353-3313) carry versions of lychee liqueur, so if you have a “Blank Space” on your home cocktail menu this weekend, no need to feel you “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” mixed one up. And if you don’t get to it this week? “Shake It Off” — there’s always next weekend.

Yeah, okay — enough with the Swifty songs. Just make one; it’s pretty darned good!