🍅 Tamatar Martini

Vodka, mustard seed-infused vermouth, spiced clarified tomato & drunken onions

Vodka
45 min
Stirred
Martini Glass
~20%
Ambassadors Clubhouse
Ingredients
  • 60ml vodka (Grey Goose or Stolichnaya)
  • 20ml mustard seed vermouth (steep 1 tsp brown mustard seeds in 100ml Dolin Dry vermouth for 2 hours, strain)
  • 20ml spiced clarified tomato (see tips)
  • Drunken pearl onion garnish (steep 6 pearl onions in 60ml whisky + 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp vinegar for 24 hours)
Method
  1. 1
    Make spiced tomatoBlend 3 ripe tomatoes with ½ tsp each garam masala, cumin, coriander. Season with salt. Strain slowly through muslin for 30+ minutes until clear ruby liquid forms. Do not press — let gravity do the work.
  2. 2
    Make mustard vermouthToast mustard seeds in a dry pan 1 min. Add to dry vermouth. Steep 2 hours. Strain.
  3. 3
    StirCombine vodka, mustard vermouth, and spiced clarified tomato in a mixing glass with ice. Stir 35 seconds.
  4. 4
    StrainFine-strain into a chilled martini glass.
  5. 5
    GarnishSpear 2 drunken pearl onions on a cocktail pick.

About This Cocktail

The Tamatar Martini is Ambassadors Clubhouse's most discussed cocktail — love it or hate it, you cannot ignore it. It draws on two traditions: the Dirty Martini (where olive brine replaces the vermouth's role as an aromatic modifier) and the Indian tadka (the technique of frying spices in hot oil before adding to a dish, which is also the same flavour principle as the bar's mustard-seed-infused vermouth). The spiced clarified tomato is made by the Indian dum technique: slow cooking whole tomatoes with a spice paste until deeply flavourful, then clarifying through muslin to a crystal-clear ruby liquid that tastes entirely like concentrated tomato-spice without looking like it.

Variations

Spiced GibsonKeep the mustard vermouth but replace clarified tomato with regular vodka ratio — serve with the drunken onion only. A more approachable but still Indian-inflected Gibson
Bloody TamatarAdd the un-clarified tomato-spice mixture (before straining) with vodka, lime juice, and tabasco — an Indian Bloody Mary without tomato juice
Mezcal TamatarReplace vodka with mezcal for a smoky dimension that works beautifully with the tomato-spice base
Bartender Tips

The spiced clarified tomato is the hardest element but also the most rewarding — the clarity of the liquid combined with its intense tomato-spice flavour is remarkable. The gravity-drain technique (no pressing) ensures maximum clarity. If you press the muslin, the liquid turns cloudy. The drunken onions need 24 hours but keep in the fridge for weeks. The entire drink rewards patience.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
Ambassadors Clubhouse, Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Spirit
Vodka
Method
Stirred
ABV
~20%
Gin Guide All 69 Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails (87) Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Ambassadors Clubhouse
Address
Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Style
Indian cocktail bar & lounge
Accolades
Midtown's standout Indian cocktail destination

Ambassadors Clubhouse brings an aristocratic sensibility to Indian cocktail culture — drinks that draw from the era of Indian diplomatic gatherings, colonial-era clubs, and Mughal court traditions. The menu is sophisticated without being austere, featuring regional Indian ingredients in cocktails designed to be talked about as much as drunk.

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