Forget Espresso Martinis — ‘Tomato Girl Summer’ Is the Queen of Summer 2025 Mixology Trends

(Photo: Mijenta)

Something round, crimson and savory is afoot in the mixology world.

Over the past couple of years, the phrase “tomato girl summer” has begun making the rounds on social media. It’s one of those loosely defined, hodgepodge hashtags like cottage core or brat summer. More moodboard than movement. In this case, the aesthetic evokes Mediterranean vistas and polkadot dresses, caprese salads, sunset Yacht rides and much else vaguely Italian and coastal.

It’s an aspirational vibe packaged as a season, and like many “so and so” summers before it, the term has quickly taken on a life of its own. Tomato girls have warranted shoutouts in Vogue, People Magazine and The Washington Post, where you’ll find the phrase slapped onto everything from shopping recommendations to celebrity sightings.

Now, the rallying cry is slowly but surely worming its way into the cocktail scene. At leading bars the world over, martinis and margaritas are being replaced by tomatinis and tomaritas, often garnished with heaping piles of black pepper and basil that attract all the right attention.

At Singapore’s World 50 Best awardee Jigger & Pony, guests can partake in the Ugly Tomatoes, an homage to misshapen produce mixed with Hapusa gin and caraway liqueur. At New York City’s ever-trendy Double Chicken Please, the viral Cold Pizza Margarita — complete with cheese-infused tequila, lime cordial and tomato water — has earned a dedicated following. Elsewhere, mixologists with a flair for the gourmet are reimagining Negronis and highballs, Champagne spritzes and the occasional Tiki cocktail. Some are opting for the opulent; at Valerie, a heady mix of herb-infused vermouth, génépy and Fundy gin is topped with hand-scooped tomato caviar. We’ve heard it’s delicious.

But why tomato cocktails, and why 2025?

Much like how the espresso martini leapfrogged off the craft coffee boom, it’s safe to say that tomato girl summer had its fair share of inspirations that added up for a perfect storm.

For one, consumers have fallen deeply in love with health-conscious options — or, at the very least, options that look and sound healthy. From the kitchen to the bar, there isn’t a single consumable in sight that hasn’t been swept up by some kind of holistic rebranding. Snack makers have been quick to keep up with the protein-maxing movement, while beverage and candy brands have dived headfirst into adaptogenic ingredients like lion’s mane and l-theanine. Over in the alcohol world, additive-free and single-estate are the reigning buzzwords of the day. The wellness push has manifested everywhere. It was only a matter of time before the mixology scene got a trendy, easy-to-talk-about twist on the concept, and tomato cocktails appear to be exactly that.

The enduring appeal of a bright-red drink also can’t be overstated. No shade to the delicious, bittersweet flavors of Aperol and Campari, but those are apertifs that went ultra-viral largely because they know how to draw a crowd. There’s nothing quite like an Instagram flick of a Negroni enjoyed on a Sicilian beach, or a Cosmopolitan sipped pinky up at a chic downtown hideaway. These are drinks that pop like no other on social media, and they’re often topped with a showstopping garnish that adds to the mystique. For the Aperol Spritz, it’s that oversized orange slice you’ve probably spotted at a dozen brunch spots. For tomato cocktails, it tends to be a couple of cherry tomatoes and a sprig of basil.

Below, we’ve rounded up three cocktail recipes that’ll bring the tomato party to the comfort of your bar cart. Whether you’re working with V8 juice from the grocery store or fresh-plucked produce from the garden, there’s a little bit of something for every kind of home mixologist.

3 Cocktail Recipes to Capture the Tomato Girl Summer Aesthetic

1. Maria Sin Sangre

(Photo: The Clover Club)

Travel to the acclaimed Clover Club in Brooklyn, New York, for a sip that embodies everything excellent and unexpected about tomato cocktails. Created by bar owner Julie Reiner, the Maria Sin Sangre acts as a riff on the Bloody Mary — hence its name, which translates to “Mary Without Blood” in English. Lemon juice, tomato, basil and sherry collide alongside a splash of blanco tequila, which adds a vegetal and slightly sweet undertone. We’d liken it to a before-dinner salad in the absolute best way possible.

Ingredients

• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 6 basil leaves
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces blanco tequila (Preferably El Tesoro)
• ½ ounce dry sherry (Preferably Williams Humbert medium-dry)
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• Pinch salt and pepper
• Basil leaf and cherry tomato, for garnish

Directions

1. In the bottom of a shaker, muddle the tomatoes and basil in the simple syrup. Add the tequila, sherry, lemon juice, salt and pepper and shake with ice until chilled.
2. Double-strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a coupe glass.
3. To create the garnish, pierce a small hole in the top of the tomato and insert the stem of the basil leaf like a flag. Make a slit in the bottom of the tomato and perch the tomato on the rim of the glass.

2. Contadino

(Photo: Contadino)

If the Maria Sin Sangre was an appetizer, then the Contadino is the entree. Served at The Joseph Hotel in Nashville, the opulently garnished drink hinges around signature additions of celery bitters, feta cheese and MSG (which, contrary to popular belief, is perfectly safe for human consumption).

Ingredients

• 2 oz Grey Goose Vodka
• 2 oz Tomato Water
• 0.5 oz Basil-Infused Dry Vermouth
• 2 dashes Celery Bitters
• 5 g Feta Cheese (crumbled)
• Pinch of Oregano
• Pinch of MSG

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shaking well until chilled for 15-20 seconds.
2. Double strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled double rocks glass.
3. If you’re feeling extra, garnish with a red tomato rose placed inside the glass.

3. El Vampirito

(Photo: El Tequileno)

El Tequileno is widely credited with popularizing La Batanga, a simple combo of Coke, lime and blanco tequila that took on a life of its own among social media users last summer. But there’s another recipe we think deserves just as much shine. Served at the brand’s headquarters in Jalisco, Mexico, El Vampirito is the bastard lovechild of a michelada and a citrus-loaded cantarito. An unwieldy combination of orange juice, tomato and tabasco adds up for a cocktail far greater than the sum its parts. The only requirement for success: You’ve got to plop the biggest, juiciest jalapeño you can find right on top.

Ingredients

• 2 oz El Tequileño Platinum
• 1 oz orange juice
• 2 oz tomato juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• Tabasco Sauce (drops)
• Salt
• Jalapeño pepper, for garnish

Directions

1. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a rocks glass over fresh cubed ice and garnish.