Grapefruit Martini Recipes to Brighten Your New Year

Grapefruit Martini Recipes to Brighten Your New Year

A grapefruit martini is a fresh drink that’s perfect for the New Year. Whether you’re hosting friends or relaxing at home, a good grapefruit martini recipe delivers crisp, refreshing grapefruit taste.

The best part? There are some delicious non-alcoholic versions of gin, vodka, and bitters that you can also use to make mocktails for an alcohol-free 2026. Keep reading to learn about these grapefruit martini recipes to make your 2026 a little brighter!

Key Takeaways

  • A grapefruit vodka martini is smooth, lightly sweet, and easy to serve on its own or alongside dinner.

  • A grapefruit gin martini leans more herbal and bold, with celery bitters helping to balance the citrus flavor.

  • To get fresh red grapefruits for your martini recipes, order sweet and delicious fresh Rio red grapefruit from Winter Sweetz.

Grapefruit Vodka Martini

A grapefruit vodka martini is clean, refreshing, and easy to enjoy. It has a bright citrus taste with just enough sweetness from the syrup and the tart flavors of grapefruit. If you’re going alcohol-free, non-alcoholic vodka works well here and still keeps the grapefruit flavor intact.

Ingredients

  • 1 Texas Rio red grapefruit

  • 1½ ounces of vodka

  • ¼ ounce of simple syrup or agave syrup

  • ½ ounce of orange liqueur 

  • Ice

Directions

  1. Chill a martini glass by filling it with ice while you prepare the cocktail.

  2. Grate part of the skin of the grapefruit and set aside.

  3. Cut the grapefruit in half and juice both halves. Measure out three ounces of red grapefruit juice.

  4. Add the juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.

  5. Pour ice from the chilled martini glass into the shaker. Then cover the shaker with the lid and shake vigorously until well chilled.

  6. Strain the mixture into the cold martini glass using a fine mesh strainer.

  7. Garnish with a grapefruit peel if desired, and serve immediately.

Grapefruit Gin Martini

This grapefruit gin martini has a bold citrus taste with a hint of savory flavor. The celery bitters keep the drink from tasting too sharp or sour, with grapefruit adding the perfect sweet-tart twist. Don’t forget, freshly-squeezed is always better than bottled juice. For an alcohol-free option, non-alcoholic gin and bitters can be used.

Ingredients

  • 1 Texas Rio red grapefruit

  • 2 ounces of gin

  • 3 dashes of celery bitters

  • Ice

Directions

  1. Cut your grapefruit in half vertically. Peel one half and remove one or two wedges. 

  2. Juice the remaining grapefruit. Measure half an ounce of fresh grapefruit juice for your martini.

  3. In a cocktail shaker, combine the freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, gin, and celery bitters.

  4. Add one cup of ice to the shaker and then shake gently to combine and chill the ingredients.

  5. Strain into a martini or coupe glass.

  6. Garnish the drink with a grapefruit wedge and serve your drink ice cold.

Red Grapefruit Martini With Basil

A red grapefruit martini with basil balances the tart flavors of grapefruit with fresh herbs. If you’re going alcohol-free, non-alcoholic vodka works beautifully here and still lets the grapefruit and basil shine.

Ingredients

  • 1 Texas Rio red grapefruit

  • 2½ ounces of vodka 

  • 2 fresh basil leaves

  • 1 ounce of simple syrup

  • Ice

Directions

  1. Cut your grapefruit in half and juice it. Measure out two and a half ounces of fresh juice.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle one basil leaf with the simple syrup. If you don't have a muddler, you can finely chop the basil and mix it well with the syrup.

  3. Add the vodka and the measured grapefruit juice into the shaker.

  4. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until well chilled.

  5. Strain into a martini glass.

  6. Garnish the drink with the remaining basil leaf and serve.

Make Your Happy Hour Even Happier With Fresh Grapefruit Juice

A fresh grapefruit martini is the perfect drink to add something special to your 2026. These easy-to-follow grapefruit martini recipes let you savor tart, refreshing flavors at home. If you want to cut back on the booze, you can make alcohol-free versions to enjoy a crisp, ice-cold treat, guilt-free!

To get sweet, juicy Rio red grapefruits delivered straight to your door, you can order your very own box from Winter Sweetz. Our grapefruits can be used to make your own vodka cocktails for a hot day or any of your favorite grapefruit juice cocktail recipes. 

Grab your cocktail shaker and some fresh grapefruit for a delightful treat! Order your box of fresh grapefruit today!

Order Fresh Grapefruit