I first tried an Ube-tini last summer at my friend Maria’s rooftop party in Queens. Maria, whose kitchen is basically a shrine to Filipino desserts, had been on a real ube kick. When she pressed a cocktail into my hand – a martini glass filled with something so purple it glowed – I was suspicious. I’m a classic martini person, the sort who thinks olive brine is an adventure. Purple yam in a drink? But after one sip (and, okay, three more), I was hooked.
You won’t find the Ube-tini in any classic cocktail books. It’s a baby compared to Negronis and Manhattans, a drink that only showed up in the last decade or so, mostly thanks to creative Filipino bartenders looking for ways to bring flavors from home into the world of happy hour. Its origin story is still unfolding every time someone in a tiny apartment kitchen decides to experiment – or, in my case, accidentally doubles the ube extract.
Strength & Profile
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It’s not just the color, though that purple is impossible to ignore. The magic is in ube’s flavor: nutty, subtly sweet, and earthy, somehow both familiar and mysterious if you’ve only known yams as Thanksgiving mush. Combined with vodka and a splash of lime, it becomes a little dessert, a little refreshment, and 100% conversation starter. The first time I served these at home, my neighbor came over just to ask what on earth could possibly be that shade of violet.
Ingredients & Glassware
• 2 oz vodka (I almost always use Tito’s – but anything will do)
• 1 oz ube extract (check your local Asian grocery, or just order online)
• ¾ oz simple syrup (feel free to use less if, like me, your sweet tooth fades at night)
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• Ice
• Martini glass or coupe (bonus points if it’s actually chilled; confession: I forget most of the time)
How to Make It
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
- Pour in vodka, ube extract, simple syrup, and lime juice.
- Shake the living daylights out of it – 15 seconds at least, until your hands are cold and you start to wonder if anyone actually chills their glass in advance.
- Strain into your glass.
- Garnish? Maybe a lime wheel for looks, but really, the purple does the heavy lifting.
No alcohol? Skip the vodka, pour the rest over ice, and top with club soda. The color and flavor are still a party.
This drink is sneakily versatile with food. I once paired it with mango salsa and chips – my neighbor’s idea, not mine – and that hit of fruity heat did wild things with the earthy sweetness of the cocktail. Coconut shrimp, even sharp cheeses, hold their own beside it.
I’ve tried riffing on the recipe more times than I should admit. Swapping in gin can be fun (botanicals add another layer), and coconut water instead of simple syrup gives it a lighter, more tropical thing. The winner at my last beach cookout was an Ube Mojito: muddle fresh mint, swap vodka for rum, hit it with fizz. Turns out, rum and ube are best friends.
There’s something a little magical about passing a purple cocktail to an unsuspecting friend and watching their face light up after the first sip. It’s become my go-to when I want to shake myself – and everyone else – out of the usual cocktail rut.
Just a word of caution from experience: go easy on the ube extract. “More color, more fun” sounds right, but after a certain point it turns overwhelming, like you just sipped a marker. Stick to the measurements the first time, then tweak to your own taste (and risk tolerance for purple) as you go.
