Columbus Restaurants and Bars Introduce New Martini Variations
Columbus drinkers are finding fresh takes on the classic martini across local restaurant and bar menus as venues move beyond traditional gin and vodka standards, according to a November 2026 feature in Columbus Monthly and reporting by boozenetworks.com.
The Holy Tea Martini at Cordial Cocktail Club & Bottle Shop brings together three types of basil with Lillet and notes of lilac and jasmine tea, according to boozenetworks.com. Cordial bartender Ari Stewart created the $11 vodka martini with a basil garnish as part of the Mumbai Masala menu, drawing inspiration from his Indian-American heritage, columbusmonthly.com reported.
Pairings for these beverages include Mama Sang’s Tandoori Spice Mixed Nuts—created by Sangeeta Lakhani, the Columbus chef who co-founded and serves as executive director of Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers, and who is Stewart’s mother—as well as the Boondi Snack Mix featuring golden raisins, curry leaf, puffed chickpeas, and puffed rice, according to columbusmonthly.com.
Downtown at Amara, the new Mediterranean eatery by Josh Dalton along the Scioto Mile, the $18 Grilled Olive doubles and triples down on the olive profile, columbusmonthly.com reported. The drink features Vim & Petal gin, olive vermouth made by Timbal, and a single olive bathed in olive oil and lightly charred in the restaurant’s fires, creating a rounder, sweeter profile than a typical dirty martini, according to boozenetworks.com.
At I Like It Like That inside Natalie’s Grandview in Fifth by Northwest, the $10 Gin Tini pairs blended vermouth and Bombay London Dry with celery bitters for floral, evergreen notes, according to columbusmonthly.com.
In the Short North, Service Bar offers the $15 Girl Dinner, featuring OYO Vodka washed with crème fraîche and peppercorn, joined by dill-infused dry vermouth, boozenetworks.com reported.
Bar manager Cassidy Durain-Lee wanted to create a savory cocktail with an element of familiarity, according to columbusmonthly.com. The martini glass sports a black truffle-sea salt rim and is topped with garnishes including a bleu cheese-stuffed olive, cocktail onion, cornichon and pepperoncino.
Speck serves the Modista Martini, which includes a prosecco side car, boozenetworks.com reported.
Mixologists at Cordial crafted a Clarified Bloody Mary Martini recipe featuring vodka infused with fresh horseradish, according to columbusmonthly.com. The process begins with the freezer method for tomato water: fresh tomatoes are washed, diced, tossed with 2 percent by weight of kosher salt, arranged on a tray and frozen, columbusmonthly.com reported.
The frozen tomatoes transfer to a coffee filter in a sieve or colander set over a deep bowl to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, yielding water that can be used within three days or frozen, according to columbusmonthly.com.
The clarified bloody mix combines 350 ml of tomato water, 235 ml of olive brine, 30 ml of Tabasco, and 30 ml of Worcestershire, while the horseradish vodka infuses 750 ml of vodka with 30 grams of peeled, chopped fresh horseradish in a sealed glass jar in a dark place for five days before straining and freezing, columbusmonthly.com reported.
To assemble the drink, 1/2 teaspoon of absinthe is added to a chilled martini glass, rolled around to coat it, and the excess is discarded, according to columbusmonthly.com. In another glass filled with ice, 1.25 oz of tomato water, 1.5 oz of horseradish vodka, and .75 oz of dry vermouth are stirred together until well chilled for about 20 seconds, strained into the prepared glass, and garnished with an olive, columbusmonthly.com reported.