Sauvignon Blanc’s Latest Viral Moment? The ‘Crisp Martini’
What is it about Sauvignon Blanc that nearly guarantees virality? First, it was the Jalapeño Sauvignon Blanc—i.e. Sauvy B chilled with frozen jalapeño slices—that conquered TikTok. Now it’s the Sauvignon Blanc-forward crisp martini, which isn’t exactly a martini.
Served in a martini glass, the cocktail also includes gin and St. Germain, and it’s a beloved fixture on the drinks menu at Hillstone, the upscale American restaurant chain. Recently, the wine cocktail has exploded on social media as people try making it at home. While the chain has been tight-lipped about the exact crisp martini recipe, creators have taken their best guess at the proportions and seem to have come to a consensus: 1 ounce Sauv Blanc, 1 ounce St. Germain, 1.5 ounces gin, ½ ounce lemon. (Hillstone hasn’t responded to our requests for comment.)
“I am a dirty martini lover but was looking to switch it up for something a bit more refreshing and, well, crisp,” says Megan Becken, a TikTok creator who posted about making the drink (and got over 300,000 views). “I also love white wine so I thought I would love the combination, and I did!”
Is It Crisp? Is It a Martini?
First off, it should be noted that to properly enjoy the drink, you must have an open mind and an expansive view of the word “martini.”
“The use of the term ‘martini’ here is like the early aughts, where everything was a ‘tini,’” says Lynnette Marrero, beverage director of Milly‘s in Brooklyn and co-founder of Speed Rack. But a good drink is a good drink, she says, name be damned. Especially one that might help with fridge cleanout: “The drink sounds yummy and is an easy way to use wine that has been opened and may not be at its best.”
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Kara Newman, a Wine Enthusiast writer at large who reviews spirits and RTD cocktails, is not a martini snob, either. “Anything can be a ‘martini’ these days, so as long as it’s served in a stemmed glass I wouldn’t argue that part too strenuously—but no, it’s not a martini in the classic sense.”
Newman is, however, a bit hung up on the other part of its name: “I think of ‘crisp’ as similar to ‘dry,’ and I suspect a drink with a full ounce of liqueur wouldn’t read to me as particularly ‘crisp.’”
Regardless, Newman loves a good gin sour, which is very similar to the crisp martini. “Squint a little closer, and you can see the outlines of a New York Sour, but instead of whiskey this is gin, and instead of red wine this is white wine, plus a good dose of elderflower liqueur,” she says.
The cocktail also has unmistakable spritz energy. “It’s really more of a vibe-y white wine spritz masquerading as a martini, which explains its social media appeal,” says Amy Racine, beverage director and partner at JF Restaurants. “It’s light, easy and feels upscale without the bite of a traditional martini.”
Nostalgia in a Glass, with Endless Riff Possibilities
The crisp martini evokes undeniable nostalgia. Harkening back to a time when the word “martini” was used a lot more liberally, the cocktail offers familiarity “in a nostalgic, 1990s call-anything-a-martini sort of way, and I’m here for it,” says Danny Childs, beverage consultant at The Rittenhouse and founder of the Slow Drinks Movement.
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It’s also deeply riffable. Child suggests playing around with unique or infused gins, other grape varietals for the wine, foraged elderflower liqueur and alternative acid sources. Luis Tovar Zarate, cocktail chemist at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa in La Jolla, California, would also recommend using herbs like basil or swapping in homemade liqueurs.
“Looking back in time, the classic Cosmo also bent the rules and is now synonymous with martini culture,” says Zarate. “Patterns are everywhere, so breaking a beverage pattern is what helps a cocktail stand out and opens the door for other playful iterations.”
Sauvignon Blanc Martini (adapted from Hillstone’s Crisp Martini)
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces gin
1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce Sauvignon Blanc
Lime peel, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then add St. Germain, gin and lemon juice.
Step 2
Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Step 3
Top with Sauvignon Blanc.
Step 4
Garnish with a lime peel.
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