The Sesame Martini Is Taking Over the World
Does a cocktail get more classic than a martini? So iconic is this stiff drink that bartenders can’t seem to stop riffing on the recipe. From the Tomatini to the margarita-inspired Mexican Martini, there’s a martini for every mood and pantry item you can imagine.
“It’s a universal drink that people are familiar with,” says Nick Seo, the general manager at Tonari, a Wafu-Italian restaurant in Washington, D.C. “As bartenders, we have the flexibility of dreaming up new variations due to its versatility and room for creative freedom.”
So, move over espresso martini, the martini du jour all over the world is the sesame martini.
Bar menus, from Vancouver and San Diego to Paris, are highlighting the humble sesame seed in a variety of martini preparations, one more distinct than the next. At Seo’s Tonari, there’s the simply named Sesame Martini that utilizes different types of sesame: Barley shochu—infused with both toasted sesame and sesame oil—is mixed in equal parts to gin before vermouth and Liquore Strega are added to the mix. Drops of sesame oil are added as an aromatic introduction to every sip.
For Seo, “sesame adds another dimension of flavor,” he says, adding that it helps create a type of savory martini. “It adds complexity to the drink without being overly complicated.” But as a whole, sesame helps define the profile of this martini, the sesame wash adds body, the drops of oil gives it that distinct nose.
The Dirty Martini’s Nutty Cousin
It’s largely the same with the Bang Bang cocktail at Paris’s Bar Josephine, where bartender Angelo Forte uses sesame to develop his own take on the dirty martini: Oyster-leaf-infused Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru is spiked with a few dashes of vermouth and then finished off with three drops of black sesame oil. Forte says the briny quality of the drink is amplified by the toasty, nutty flavor of the sesame. But more than that, he thinks mouthfeel is the key component sesame brings to Bang Bang.
“[Sesame oil] makes the drink slightly greasy in the mouth, similar to a dirty martini,” he explains, crediting the fat from the oil as an agent that helps the flavor linger; you always get a bit of sesame on the finish.
Over in Oceanside, California, Matsu’s bar manager Rowland Silva is often called to build drinks that complement chef William Eick’s modern Japanese cooking. “Inspiration usually comes in the form of a new product arriving at Matsu or change in the menu,” he says. “As our chefs rotate fruits, vegetables and spices throughout the year, I incorporate them into our cocktails to tie the menus together and help eliminate any wasted product.”
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In Matsu’s kitchen, sesame is a constant recipe feature, so it only makes sense that it would show up in Silva’s drinks menu, too. In the Shio, a super savory martini, sesame is part of a salt brine that also has mirin, cilantro, ginger, barrel-aged shoyu, sweet potato vinegar and other interesting ingredients. It delivers a flavorful punch, especially when mixed with a kombu-infused gin. Add some toasted sesame oil, and you’ve got even more umami.
Those savory notes are, at least, partly why bartenders are so taken with sesame right now. The layers it can add to a straight-forward drink like a martini rife for experimentation.
And there’s also the visual aspect. For Winnie Sun, who oversees the beverage program at new Vancouver restaurant Elem, where she’s also co-owner, sesame plays quite an important role in the drink Tokyo Nights Martini. The gin is washed with sesame oil, which not only lends a slight creaminess to every sip but it also gives some color to the cocktail, which is a murky gray. She then adds black sesame syrup to deepen the nuttyness and to bring a subtle sweetness.
“Sesame brings an unprecedented depth and nuance to martinis,” Sun says, noting its flavor, aromatics, texture and versatility. “Sesame’s uniqueness lies in its ability to bridge eastern and western flavors, to add warmth without heat, and to provide subtle, sophisticated nuttiness.”
Tonari’s Sesame Martini
This sesame martini recipe is easy to make but does require advanced planning and special tools. You’ll want to have an amber glass dropper bottle, mixing glass, bar spoon, hawthorne strainer and Nick & Nora on hand before getting started.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce sesame-infused shochu
- 1 ounce gin
- 0.75 ounces dry vermouth
- 0.25 ounces Liquore Strega or Yellow Chartreuse
Directions
Step 1
Step 2
To Infuse Shochu:
- 1 bottle of barley shochu (like Iichiko Silhouette)
- 1 ounce toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
- 20 drops of sesame oil
Step 1
Step 2
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