Bikini Martini

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

An explosive blend of tropical flavors, the Bikini Martini is as delicious as it is colorful.

In my younger days, I was obsessed with a show called The X-Files. I’m sure many of you remember it, but in case you’re scratching your head, here’s the short version: two FBI agents investigate stuff like UFOs, Bigfoot, paranormal phenomena, unexplained things like that. As a teenager, I delved into everything related to that series. Friday nights in high school were all about pizza, Mulder and Scully.

One summer, I read one of the show’s spin-off novels entitled Ground Zero by Kevin J. Anderson. Investigating the mysterious deaths of nuclear scientists, the agents wind up near the Bikini Atoll, where a number of atomic bombs were notoriously detonated, resulting in the forced evacuations of the local population. The history presented in the novel led me to read up more on what happened there.

This memory comes up because of tonight’s drink, the Bikini Martini. Sure, I’m also reminded of the bubblegum pop hit from the 1960s, “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”, but apparently part of the cocktail’s inspiration came from those tropical, nuclear explosions. Not an “official” Martini, but what Difford’s Guide refers to as a Fruitini, this recipe is a sweet and strong concoction comprised of coconut rum, vodka, pineapple juice and grenadine.

It is said that celebrity bartender Dick Bradsell was asked to invent a colorful cocktail for the launch party of a new swimsuit line, and the result was the Bikini Martini. Some say the drink was so potent that Bradsell was inspired to name it after the atomic testing at Bikini Atoll in the 1940s and 1950s, however, it may also have got its name from the revealing swimwear (which original creator Louis Réard also named after those distant Pacific Islands).

For myself, when I tried one of these, I was reminded of when Ursula Andress stepped out of the water in 1962’s Dr. No and into cinema history, wearing her iconic bikini. A bomb of another kind that remains an indelible image from the 20th century.

What Is The Best Alcohol To Use In A Bikini Martini?

The two spirits you’ll need for this tasty and combustible elixir will be coconut rum and vodka. Because of the pineapple juice, grenadine and coconut, go for an unflavored vodka, which will complement the tropical notes and give you a balanced and biting tipple. Malibu is the most well known and easy to find brand of coconut rum, but Kōloa Kauaʻi also produce a beautiful, top shelf variety that I highly recommend.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH IS USED?

Chill a martini glass in your freezer for up to thirty minutes before serving. Garnish with a pineapple wedge on the rim and a maraschino cherry.

WHAT YEAR WAS THE SWIMWEAR INVENTED?

The bikini bathing suit was invented by Louis Réard in 1946, named so after the bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. At the time, they were viewed as so revealing that no model dared put one on. Times have certainly changed.

Other Martini-Style Cocktails Worth Trying

Mixed drinks served in martini glasses that aren’t gin, vodka and vermouth come in all kinds of flavors and shades. If fruity, sweet and powerfully punchy recipes are what you look forward to when the work week is done, check out some of these fun potions you can try at home.

• Grapefruit Martini – Tart, sweet and a little dark, this drink isn’t your everyday ‘Tini.
• Key Lime Martini – Each sip is like a delicious slice of pie.
• Espresso Martini – Another classic creation from Dick Bradsell.
• French Martini – Spend a fancy evening with this raspberry-tinged cocktail.