Could Kimchi Martinis Be The Next Spicy Margarita?

Spicy cocktails have been trending for years and, thankfully, they've proven to be much more than a passing fad. People continue to come up with new and innovative ways to bring a kick of heat to drinks, such as adding Szechuan peppercorns to cocktails like Negronis and whiskey sours. But the next big ingredient to spice up this trend might be kimchi. "Kimchi ... is a combination of flavors, there is a lot going on: the fermentation, cabbage, onions, a lot of garlic, ginger, often pineapple or nashi pears and always Korean chili flakes. It's not necessarily spicy per se, but multi-dimensional — savory, smoky, wild, and a little bit funky," says Susan Choi, owner and operator of the Berlin-based bar, Mr. Susan. This complexity makes kimchi particularly well-suited for crisp martinis, which Choi describes as "explosive in flavor [and] not for the faint-hearted."

If you're intrigued by this unusual combination, "Gently squeeze out some of the juice from your kimchi, fine-strain it, and add a bar spoon to vodka. There is so much going on with kimchi, you want to keep your spirit straightforward for a kimchi martini," Choi explains. At Mr. Susan, she notes, "We like using the juice of the kimchi because it captures that 'kimchi' flavor best and is well-rounded considering all the flavors." The bar also serves a kimchi "jerky" made with dehydrated strips, as a garnish. Even at-home mixologists, who might not have the equipment to make a kimchi distillate, can add a little juice to their martinis.

Once you've mastered your basic kimchi juice martini recipe, you can start adding other flavors to your spicy cocktail. Susan Choi advises, "Another ingredient that will elevate and round out your kimchi martini is a ginger-infused white vermouth." To do this, she says, "Add some fresh ginger to your white vermouth and infuse for about 8 to 12 hours. Vermouth is a classic add to a martini, but adding the ginger to the mix freshens up the martini and gives it a better 'cocktail world' balance." If you love the idea of a spicy martini but aren't sold on the kimchi, you could also infuse dry martinis with chili oil or upgrade your gin martini with wasabi.

On the flip side, you can skip the martini and test out other fun kimchi cocktails. "We've done extensive experimentation with kimchi at Mr. Susan and we have found that one of our favorite ways to use kimchi is in a margarita variation," Choi says. "Our signature drink is the Kimchi Margarita — mezcal, agave, and fresh kimchi juice. There's something about agave and kimchi that love each other and the mezcal can stand right up there with the kimchi juice."

If you're just starting your spicy cocktail journey, consider leaning on ready-made drinks as a base. Sweet-and-spicy drinks like Stella Rosa Watermelon and Chili Rosé are perfect for experimenting. You can try them as is, or add another spicy ingredient (We recommend kimchi juice, of course) to turn up the heat.