Pumpkin Spice Martini

•Posted: Oct 24, 2023

This Pumpkin Spice Martini is a delicious cocktail for your Halloween & Thanksgiving parties! This festive cocktail is slightly sweet, but not overly so. Made with pumpkin spice liquor, this vodka martini is sure to be a hit at all your fall gatherings!

How much do you love a fun fall cocktail? You should also check out our popular Pumpkin Pie Shots a simple Pumpkin Spice Wine Spritzer or this super cool Pumpkin Moscow Mule!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Spice Martini

When we’re making holiday themed drinks like this Pumpkin Spice Martini, we know that they need to look as good as they taste. You might look at this martini and say, cute, but it looks too sweet for me. I’m urging you to give this one a try, it’s not as sweet as you might think it will be. But it’s crazy delicious.

Fun For Parties: These pumpkin martinis are super fun for Halloween and Thanksgiving gatherings. You can make them ahead of time and in bulk!
Festive Flavors: We’re using pumpkin spice liquor to make these martinis festive and fun for fall.
Easy To Make: Just a few ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice! Rimming the glass is optional, but fun for parties – also very easy to do.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This pumpkin spice martini only requires a few ingredients, but they will probably require a trip to the liquor store. However, once you buy these liquors you’ll have them for a few years to come.

Vanilla Vodka: You can absolutely substitute regular vodka but we do like the hint of vanilla flavor that vanilla vodka brings to this martini recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Liquor: For this drink recipe, we’re looking for the clear, orange colored pumpkin spice liquor, not the creamy version.
Licor 43: This liquor is a standard bottle in our cabinet. We use it for tons of drink recipes, including this pumpkin martini. It’s a Spanish liquor with a citrusy, vanilla flavor.
Colored Sugar and Corn Syrup: For rimming the glass, optional but fun for parties. See the post and recipe card for details.

How To Rim To A Glass With Sugar

Rimming a glass in sugar is really easy but I do get a lot of questions about it. People comment that the sugar rims run, or doesn’t stick to the rim well and it’s really all about one thing.

Corn syrup. Using syrup instead of water or in some recipes lime or lemon juice really acts like an edible glue for whatever you’re using to coat the rim of your glass. Water or lime juice will dissolve a sugar rim to some point and make it run down the glass.

STEP 1 – LAY OUT THE INGREDIENTS: Pour a layer of corn syrup onto a shallow dish. However thick the layer is of corn syrup on the plate is how deep your rim will be. Pour colored sugar onto another shallow dish and spread into an even layer.
STEP 2 – RIM THE GLASS: Dip the rim of a martini glass (or your glass of choice) into the corn syrup, turning the rim of the glass around to make sure it’s evenly coated. Keeping the glass upside down, dip into the sugar, turning to coat. Turn the glass right side up and now it’s ready for your martini.

Alternatives To Corn Syrup

If you’re opposed to using corn syrup, or you just don’t have any, you can also try using honey or maple syrup. It will add a sweet flavor to the drink, but if you’re ok with that, both of those will also work. For a neutral flavor, a thick agave syrup will also work well.

How Do I Make This Pumpkin Spice Martini For Parties?

Double, triple, quadruple this vodka martini recipe and keep it right in the refrigerator until party time. Rim the glasses before your party and have them on stand by.

Then when it’s cocktail time just pour the chilled martini into the rimmed glasses and serve. If you want the icy bits in your martini you can pour the martini mixture into a shaker filled with ice, shake well and then strain into your glasses.

Shaking the martinis before serving is an extra step, but one I do like to take. An icy cold martini makes a huge difference in the flavor – but if that’s not an option just make sure that your pitcher of drinks is kept chilled.

Variations

There are TONS of ways that you can switch up the flavors and appearance of this martini recipe to customize it for different holidays and parties!

Different Rims: Use different colored sugars for different holidays or themed parties. Sprinkles are also fun or an edible rim like a graham cracker crust.
Different Liquors: Switch up the pumpkin spice liquor for other flavors like caramel apple or any other flavor you like. Most flavored liqours will work well with the other ingredients in this recipe.
Different Vodka: Instead of vanilla, explore the many different flavored vodka options available.
Make It Creamy: You can also use the creamy version of pumpkin spice liquor and make this martini creamy – more of a dessert cocktail.

Looking For More Fall Drink Recipes?