Give Your Martini A Tropical Twist With Coconut Rum

When the time comes to serve up a classy tipple, whether for guests or yourself, it's hard to beat a martini. The best thing about this drink is that you can add all sorts of twists to create magnificent martini recipes, including a coconut-y variation that will add a tropical flair to your big night in.

Mashed recipe developer Catherine Brookes' coconut martini cocktail adds coconut cream, coconut rum, and lime juice to create a smooth, refreshing variation. As Brookes told Mashed, "Coconut and rum are such a classic combination, and the vodka and lime add even more delicious flavor." Zingy citrus and smooth coconut are two common features of many tropical cocktails, appearing in everything from Mai Tais to Bahama Mamas, so they'll definitely do the job here.

Brookes takes this theme even further with her chosen garnish: She coats the rim of the glass with a lick of honey and rolls it in desiccated coconut, which she says "makes this cocktail feel extra special and is a great touch if you're serving it to guests." If you still want to double down on the drink's tropical sensibility, she suggests adding "a lime round to the edge of the glass, or even a pineapple chunk." These extra steps may feel like a slog while you're crafting the drink, but they'll pay off when you catch your guests admiring your handiwork before taking their first sip.

If you really want your guests to be able to close their eyes and imagine they're on a glorious, sandy beach, then it's time to plug in your blender. By turning your coconut martini into a frozen slushie, you'll transport yourself and your guests straight to the shore, where you can sip your refreshing tropical cocktails undisturbed. To achieve this, Catherine Brookes recommends blitzing "everything in a blender with crushed ice."

Transforming a martini into a slushie means you might need to break a fundamental cocktail-making rule. To handle the texture change, which may demand a straw depending on your slushie's thickness, you'll likely need to ditch the traditional martini glass. Long or stemless glasses are best for holding straws in place; martini glasses, on the other hand, tend to be shallow and top-heavy, meaning your straw can easily fall out. If you want to preserve the tropical ambiance, pick up some poco grande glasses. Big-bowled and long-necked, these are commonly used to serve piña coladas, so they'll easily help your guests conjure images of sun, sand, and surf.