Name: Pimento Cheese Martini
Prep time: 5 min
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 oz Green Chili Vodka; 0.5 oz Premium Vodka; 0.25 oz Fino Sherry; 0.25 oz Spicy Cheese Liqueur; Pimento Cheese Stuffed Olive, for garnish

Everything You Need To Know About The Pimento Cheese Martini

The Masters Tournament, which occurs each year at the start of April in Augusta, GA, is steeped in culinary traditions such as the Azalea cocktail and the iconic pimento cheese sandwich—a creamy, tangy spread of shredded cheddar, mayo, and piquant pimento peppers served on soft white bread. Taking these flavors from the concession stand to the clubhouse, spirits journalist and beverage consultant Tyler Zielinski developed this sophisticated, savory evolution. This professional specification utilizes a complex layering of heat and salinity, with green chili vodka providing the "pimento" kick and Fino sherry offering a dry, nutty finish that cuts through the richness.

Pimento Cheese Martini

Prep Time5 min

Yield1 Cocktail

Base SpiritVodka

Ingredients

1 oz Green Chili Vodka
0.5 oz Premium Vodka
0.25 oz Fino Sherry
0.25 oz Spicy Cheese Liqueur
Pimento Cheese Stuffed Olive, for garnish

The Pimento Cheese Martini Is A Master Class In Savory And Spice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
Stir for 30 rotations to integrate the savory liqueur and reach proper dilution.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with an oversized pimento-stuffed olive.

Pro Tip

The "Spicy Cheese Liqueur" provides essential lactic tang and mouthfeel. If you can’t source a commercial savory spirit, fat-wash 4 oz of vodka with 2 tablespoons of pimento cheese for four hours, freeze overnight, and strain through a coffee filter to capture that authentic "cheddar funk."

Pimento Cheese Martini Riff

For a quick home version, shake 2 oz of vodka with 0.5 oz dry vermouth and a heavy splash of spicy olive brine. Strain and garnish with a pimento-stuffed olive for a simplified, salty-spicy kick that hits the same flavor profile in sixty seconds.