Monkey 47 Martini with Yuzu Sake and Cocchi Americano

thedoublestrainer
Nov 7, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 16

Monkey 47 Martini with Yuzu Sake and Cocchi Americano

This spirit-forward gin cocktail is a Martini-style variation that prioritizes clarity and structure over complexity. Monkey 47 brings dense botanical depth, Cocchi Americano adds bitter-sweet grip and length, and yuzu sake is treated as a bright aromatic accent so the drink stays readable from first sip to finish.

If you like Vesper-adjacent builds and aromatized-wine Martini variations, this is designed for you: cold, clean, and precise, with a lifted citrus finish.

Recipe Card

Yield: 1 cocktail

Total time: 3 minutes

Technique: Stirred

Glassware: Nick & Nora (160 to 180 ml)

Ingredients

40 ml Monkey 47 Dry Gin
15 ml Cocchi Americano
10 to 20 ml yuzu sake (see sweetness note below)

Garnish (pick one signature and keep it consistent)

Preferred: pink grapefruit twist
Optional: 1 lightly brined green olive (only if it stays clean with your yuzu sake)

Ingredients and Substitutions

Monkey 47

Any high-quality dry gin works, but the point of this build is leveraging Monkey 47’s botanical density. If you swap gin, the drink becomes a different recipe, so consider renaming it.

Cocchi Americano substitute

Cocchi Americano is the structural piece here. If you must substitute, a quality bianco vermouth is the closest directional swap, though bitterness and grip will be different.

Yuzu sake substitute

Yuzu sake varies widely in sweetness and intensity.

If your yuzu sake is sweet or strongly perfumed, treat it as an accent and stay closer to 10 ml.
If your yuzu sake is dry and subtle, 15 to 20 ml can work without blurring the drink.

How to Stir and Control Dilution

Thermal prep

Keep gin and Cocchi Americano freezer-cold for service consistency.
Keep yuzu sake refrigerated at 4°C to 6°C to preserve its aromatics.
Deep-chill the Nick & Nora glass.

Build and stir

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass.
Add large, dry, hard ice (avoid wet, melting ice).
Stir until the drink is very cold and the texture turns silky, with a dry, clean finish.

Operational truth: a fixed stir time is a weak standard because ice size and temperature change dilution speed. Consistency comes from repeating the same ice spec and pre-chill standards, then training staff to recognize the correct endpoint.

Garnish Standard: Twist vs Olive

Pink grapefruit twist (recommended)

Express a small grapefruit zest over the surface, wipe the rim, then discard or place neatly. This reinforces the citrus top notes without introducing brine.

Green olive (optional, test first)

If you insist on a classic Martini cue, use a lightly brined, high-quality olive and minimize brine carryover. With yuzu, heavy brine often muddies the finish and can read metallic.

Choose one garnish direction and lock it in. Two signatures at once usually weakens the concept.

Tasting Notes

Nose: herbal, piney citrus liftPalate: botanical depth and gentle bitter-sweet structureFinish: clean, citrus-driven, and long, with controlled bitterness

FAQ

Can I replace Cocchi Americano with dry vermouth?

You can, but it will lose the gentian-forward grip that makes this variation work. Expect a softer, less structured finish.

Is yuzu sake sweet?

Sometimes. Many versions are noticeably sweet or highly aromatic. If yours is sweet, reduce the volume and keep it as an accent.

What garnish is best for a yuzu Martini variation?

A citrus twist is the safest and cleanest. Olive only works when your yuzu component is restrained and the brine is very light.