Vampire's Kiss Martini

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/13/21
Vampire Kiss Champagne Cocktail

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The vampire's kiss martini is an extremely simple Champagne cocktail that you won't want to miss. The sparkling vodka drink has the sweet taste of raspberries and its red sugar rim is a stunning finishing touch. While it's a great drink for Halloween parties, it's also nice on Valentine's Day or any other occasion, even if that's just a weeknight dinner.

It shouldn't be too surprising that the name "vampire's kiss" is a popular choice for Halloween-themed drinks. While there are a number of variations, they all have a blood-red color and typically include a raspberry-flavored ingredient.

This vodka recipe is easy and there's really no mixing involved, so you don't need a cocktail shaker or any special bar tools. You'll simply combine vodka and raspberry liqueur then let the Champagne's bubbles do all the mixing for you.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce raspberry liqueur, divided, plus more for rim

  • Red sugar, for rimming

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces sparkling wine

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vampire Kiss Champagne Cocktail ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Rim a cocktail glass with red sugar: Wet the rim by dipping it in a shallow dish of raspberry liqueur then roll it in red sugar until evenly coated.

    Rim a cocktail glass with red sugar

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Pour the vodka and half of the raspberry liqueur into the glass.

    Pour the vodka and half of the Chambord into the glass

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Top with Champagne.

    top cocktail with champagne

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Pour the remaining Chambord over the back of a spoon so it floats on top of the drink. Serve and enjoy.

    Vampire Kiss Champagne Cocktail, Chambord poured on top of cocktail

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • You might be able to find red sugar in the cake decorating section of your local grocery store.
  • It's also easy to make the colored sugar at home. Simply add a few drops of red food coloring to a small pile (about 1/8 cup) of white granulated sugar and mix until you get a consistent color. It's best to let the sugar dry overnight, after which you'll likely need to break the hardened sugar cake back up into granules.
  • Any sparkling wine can work in this martini. You might even want to choose a sparkling rosé because that style of wine tends to have strawberry notes that are a perfect complement to the raspberry.

Recipe Variations

  • Another simple vampire's kiss cocktail skips the wine and brings cranberry juice into the mix. To make it, shake 1 1/2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of raspberry liqueur, and 1/2 ounce of cranberry juice, then strain it into the glass.
  • You can also switch to pomegranate vodka or use pomegranate liqueur instead of either the raspberry liqueur or cranberry juice. A cranberry-pomegranate juice blend works, too.
  • Play around with flavored vodkas. Vanilla and raspberry vodkas are excellent choices. You can also pour citrus vodka or try unique flavor combinations by using chocolate, pear, or pineapple vodkas.
  • Rum is a perfect option for this drink, so pour it instead of vodka if you like.

What Are Fun Garnish Ideas for the Vampire's Kiss?

If you want to forego the sugar rim, a few raspberries make a nice garnish for this drink. Either add them to a cocktail skewer or simply let them float. For Halloween, you can add fun surprises to the cocktail. Place some (washed) fake vampire teeth in the bottom of the glass, or create spooky lychee eyeball garnishes to skewer and rest on the rim.

How Strong Is a Vampire's Kiss Martini?

There's no ice to dilute this cocktail, though it still mixes up to the average strength of fruity martinis. If you stick with all the recommended brands, your vampire's kiss martini will have an alcohol content of around 24 percent ABV (48 proof). To put that into perspective, drinking two of these is like taking a straight shot of vodka.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 32mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)