Name: Explorer 'Martini'
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Scotch whisky; 30 ml Amaretto liqueur; 30 ml Amontillado sherry

Explorer 'Martini'
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Photographed in a Speakeasy Martini 5.75oz

Ingredients:
1 oz	Blended Scotch whisky
1 oz	Disaronno amaretto
1 oz	Lustau Amontillado Los Arcos Sherry

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Martini glass.
Prepare garnish of Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass.
Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Amontillado sherry - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

The choice of sherry greatly impacts the Explorer. Made with cream sherry, as per the original recipe, brings out the rich marzipan notes in the amaretto to produce a richer after-dinner cocktail.

In contrast, a fino sherry dries this cocktail to make it more apéritif in style with nutty flavours to the fore.

Amontillado sherry (as in our rendition) amplifies butterscotch and is best served on the rocks in an old-fashioned as a late-night tipple. An extremely versatile equal parts recipe to appeal to all palates.

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History:

Adapted from a cocktail discovered by a fellow Discerning Drinker in 2019 at Sandals Resort in Barbados, where it's made with Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry rather than Amontillado sherry.

Nutrition:

One serving of Explorer 'Martini' contains 211 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
22.7% alc./vol. (22.7° proof)
20.4 grams of pure alcohol

More After dinner/digestif cocktails

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 7 comments for Explorer 'Martini'.
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Steven

14th December 2024 at 01:26

Great cocktail.

I first encountered it at the Rabbit Hole “speakeasy” at Sandals Ochi. This was where I experienced my first true cocktail (the excellent Bees Knees) so it holds a special place in my heart.

Most bartenders will make the equal parts recipe. But one year one bartender gave me his preferred recipe of 1.5 dewars, 0.75 sherry, 0.5 amaretto. Give it a try if the equal parts recipe is too sweet.

Frederic D.

30th July 2024 at 23:26

One of the very few drinks I have made from this website that I really did not care for. It opens nicely enough, but evolves into an almost sour component that I found unpleasant. I even checked my sherry (Harvey's), to ensure it hadn't gone off. I also tried scaled down versions with rye, madeira, and vermouth, and have come to the conclusion that the combination brings out something from the amaretto I just don't care for. I was finishing up a bottle of Disaronno, so YMMV with a different bran

Niklas Hedlund

21st December 2024 at 16:56

As I just now made myself this for the first time, I would recommend trying it with a dry sherry like a Amontillado or even a Palo Cortado, make sure they're dry with not much residual sugar and definitely no added sugar like Harvey Bristol Cream.

Alex Clark

20th December 2023 at 05:53

This website is absolute garbage. Can't even copy and paste comments while they are being written, you don't have copyright over my words that I haven't even sent yet. Difford's is bad.

Simon Difford

20th December 2023 at 09:50

I apologise for the frustration. I agree unnecessary on comments. We are rebuilding what our comments system and this issue will be addressed when we launch in the early weeks of 2024.

John Hinojos

22nd September 2022 at 04:02

Not being a big Sherry drinker, I approached this with some trepidation; however, Difford's has encouraged me to be willing to try new things. This was outstanding as an after-dinner drink. Did use the Amontillado sherry and it was perfect.

Richard Christmas

18th April 2022 at 19:09

Much sweeter than the more interesting Brooklyn Godfather, and yet they are both mark as 5.

Simon Difford

19th April 2022 at 18:39

The Brooklyn Godfather is dried by being spirit-forward and I've changed to be a 6 to show that it's on the dry side. Many thanks for the observation, Richard.

Calvin Grant

27th October 2021 at 03:21

If you are looking for something to make with Amontillado Sherry or Amaretto do try this. Now I must make it with a Fino. ++

Anonymous

6th July 2020 at 01:41

reminds me of a godfather, or i guess the godfather no. ii. though i could do without the maras hino liqueur in that one, i guess godfather no. iii?

delicious nonetheless

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