The Vallozzi-tini
5 years ago when I was charged with the task of coming up with a way to get rid of 3 dozen pomegranates that Ernie had purchased, panic set in. I had never worked with pomegranates, never tasted one, and had never seen a cocktail made with pomegranate juice.
After trying one and discovering its unique flavor, I began mixing different liquors and juices together trying to come up with a cocktail of the quality we’ve all come to expect at Vallozzi’s.
Finally, I had a breakthrough. The combination of peach schnapps, orange vodka, pomegranate juice, and orange juice created a flavor that literally explodes in your mouth. I had found my drink. However, it was around the holidays and something was missing that would make it a “Christmas” drink. I decided to use the traditional holiday spices of nutmeg and cinnamon mixed with sugar as a rim for the glass to give it a festive appeal. That completed the cocktail and a phenomenon began.
I called the original drink the “holiday martini” and had a very successful first season of sales. So much so that well after the holidays were over, the drink was still in high demand. I changed the name to the “winter-tini” for the February and March months, but as Spring arrived, customers were still requesting the cocktail. Faced with the realization that this drink was going to be served all year long, I made the decision to rename it once again calling it the “Vallozzi-tini” and making it Vallozzi’s signature cocktail.
To date, we have sold over 4,000 Vallozzi-tinis with no signs of slowing down. If you haven’t tried one, we urge you to come in and experience the awesome flavor of this cocktail that is sure to become your new usual. If you have tried one, we thank you, and hope you continue to enjoy the Vallozzi-tini as well as everything else we have to offer.
Vallozzi-tini
1 oz. Peach Schnapps
1oz. Orange Vodka
¾ oz. Pomegranate Juice
¼ oz. Orange juice
Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. Garnish with orange twist.
A fascinating story – I never knew the origin of this delicious cocktail! Thanks Mac!