30 Days of Beverages - Day 7 - It Makes me think of Jimmy Buffet!

I don't know why this drink makes me think of Jimmy Buffet, but it does. Maybe it's the Key Lime aspect. Maybe it's the pineapple juice or maybe it's the fact that it makes me wish I was floating on a boat somewhere with some guy playing a guitar...or maybe not.... Regardless, today's drink is a favorite of mine - the Key Lime Pie Martini!

Now the first time I had this drink I was with my friend, Melissa, at an upscale Chinese restaurant sitting at the bar for dinner. We'd had our share of cocktails that evening and the bartender asked if he could make us a drink for dessert. I immediately said "No, thanks!" since most dessert drinks are either too-sweet-for-me wine or icky-bitter-coffee-and-booze drinks, neither of which are up my alley. He argued that this was neither and based on our cocktails of choice all evening he felt certain that we would like this treat. So, who am I to turn down a free drink.

And so my love of the Key Lime Pie Martini was born. It's not something I have often, since I don't always have the ingredients on hand, but when I have one - wow! Just wow! It's great every time. Try it....I think you're going to like it!

You're going to need all of this.... plus ice -

You'll need to do this to some graham crackers because graham cracker crumbs on the rim of the glass are a KEY part of this cocktail....

Then you can start mixing - vanilla vodka, key lime liqueur, a little pineapple juice and heavy cream - then you add ice and shake, shake, shake...shake your mar-tini, shake your mar-tini!

It's a beautiful thing....

Key Lime Pie Martini

compliments of some bartender dude in a Chinese restaurant in Houston

Lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass

Graham Cracker Crumbs for the rim of the glass

3 ounces vanilla vodka

2 ounces key lime liqueur

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Wet the rim of a martini glass with the lime wedge and then roll the glass in graham cracker crumbs to coat. In a shaker, combine remaining ingredients, add ice and shake until well mixed. Pour into chilled martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.