5 spice martini

This 5 spice martini is a sweet, creamy drink with a kick of spiciness that really compliments and doesn’t overpower the drink.

I saw this martini in my local newspaper years ago. The recipe came from the Waldorf Astoria and was called the 5-star. With the Chinese new year coming up, I wanted to make a drink for it and this recipe intrigued me. Also called the Lunar New Year, this year (2024) is the year of the Dragon.

What intrigues me most about this martini is the sweetness of the drink paired with a the Chinese 5 spice powder. Chinese 5 spice is a mixture of 5 spices. Most commonly used are sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon. star anise, cloves and fennel giving the spice a predominantly licorice aroma. It is said that the 5 flavors of spices (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory) represent the 5 Chinese elements.

What surprised me most about this martini was how tasty it is. I am not a fan of black licorice, or fennel, or cloves, Plus combine that with peppercorns and star anise and I was like Oh my this is not going to be something I like. But I actually did. The 5 spice powder is not overpowering when sprinkled on top and it combines very well with the sweetness of the rum and maple syrup.

Ingredients for 5 spice martini

Rum

Heavy cream- or half and half, or milk of your choice

Maple syrup- pure, real maple syrup not the fake pancake syrup

Five spice powder- I used this one from Amazon because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery stores.

Recipe

Firstly, combine the rum, cream/milk, and maple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Secondly, strain into a pre-chilled martini glass. Thirdly, sprinkle with five spice powder.

To health, wealth, and happiness! Cheers!

Disclosure: some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.