Lipase Martini
I’ve always been close to art, and many classic cocktails feel to me like an unpainted canvas. They’re so simple that with modern techniques you can create an entirely new flavor — while still respecting the artist who shaped the original decades or even centuries ago.
In this article, I took the canvas of the Dry Martini and gave it a new dimension – soft, creamy, and modern.
In the Lipase Martini, Tito’s Vodka became my brush, and the lipase fat-wash technique became my palette of colors.
#photobychrzi
What Is Fat-Washing?
Fat-wash is a technique where a spirit is mixed with fat — butter, oil, bacon grease, or in our case, plant-based yogurt — allowing the alcohol to absorb its aroma and texture. When the fat is later removed, the spirit remains clear, delicate, and richly flavored.
Origin and Evolution
The technique entered the bar world around 2007, when Don Lee from New York’s Please Don’t Tell (PDT) created the legendary Benton’s Old Fashioned — bourbon washed with bacon fat.
That moment is considered the beginning of fat-washing as a modern bar technique.
His philosophy was simple:
If fat can carry flavor in the kitchen, why couldn’t it do the same in a cocktail?
It’s fascinating that the technique actually has roots in perfumery — in a process called enfleurage, where floral aromatics were infused into fat and later extracted with alcohol.
The bar version is essentially a liquid perfume of flavor.
How It Works
alcohol dissolves water and fat-based aromatic molecules,
fat releases its flavors and texture into the spirit,
freezing solidifies the fat, which can then be removed,
the result is a clear, silky spirit with more body and depth,
all without using cream or sweet modifiers.
What Is Lipase?
Lipase is an enzyme we briefly introduced in the article “Enzymes — The Silent Trend.”
Think of it as a key that unlocks flavors hidden inside fat.
Lipase breaks fats down into smaller molecules — free fatty acids and glycerol — dramatically changing their aroma. A fat that was once neutral becomes a source of notes reminiscent of aged cheeses or cultured cream.
In the kitchen, it’s used in producing parmesan, gorgonzola, or fermented butters.
Behind the bar, lipase opens a new world:
• it transforms fat into an aromatic cocktail component,
• improves texture without cream or syrups,
• when paired with a clean spirit like Tito’s Vodka, it creates a “liquid silk” effect.
It’s a biochemical tool that blurs the line between technology and art.
Not just an experiment for geeks — a new way of thinking about flavor.
How to Make a Lipase Fat-Wash
Warm 100 g of plant-based yogurt (e.g., soy yogurt) to about 35 °C.
Add a pinch of lipase (0.1–0.5% of the yogurt’s weight).
Let it react for about 2 hours in sous-vide at 35-45 °C, then chill the mixture.
Combine with 500 ml Tito’s Vodka and let infuse for 4–6 hours.
Freeze the entire mixture for 24 hours until the fat fully solidifies, then strain.
The result is a clear, silky vodka — perfect for a Martini.
Recipe: Lipase Martini
Ingredients
• 60 ml Yogurt Fat-Washed Tito’s Vodka
• 15 ml Dry Vermouth
• a few drops of Lemon Saline (80 g water + 20 g lemon salt)
• pickled cherry tomato (garnish)
Method
Combine all ingredients (except the garnish) in a mixing glass, stir, and strain into a coupe.
I used a pickled cherry tomato as a garnish — it adds a salty, umami contrast that beautifully balances the gentle acidity of the yogurt.
Why Tito’s?
Tito’s Handmade Vodka comes from Texas, made from corn in small batches and distilled six times for exceptional purity. Naturally smooth with a soft sweetness, it’s the perfect blank canvas for new flavors.
When it meets lipase-enhanced fat, something unique happens:
clean yet rich, classic yet modern.
Lipase Martini is a new painting you’ll enjoy creating — and your guests will enjoy drinking.
It’s also a template, a starting point for countless creative variations.
Need New Colors for Your Drinks?
You can find lipase and other enzymes at this link.
