A Cult Hit: The Gingerbread Martini at Outback Steakhouse

Troy Fields

Here at the Houston Press, we keep an eye on which stories are the most popular, and sometimes we notice interesting oddities. One is a post on the Gingerbread Martini at Outback Steakhouse, written in 2007 by our drinks columnist at the time, Debbylou Mountjoy. Apparently this martini has a cult following, because every year around now, this story gets thousands and thousands of page views.

Diane is but one example of a commenter with Outback Gingerbread Martini fever:

I had one at the outback last night because it was advertised in the restaurant. The best martini I have ever had in my life. OMG de-lish

While Outback's corporate offices did not share the exact recipe with her, Mountjoy seems to have come up with a pretty close approximation of the drink. So we're reposting her original story, with recipe, after the jump:

Attention, friends and readers of this column: I need an intervention. Hold on, it's not what you think. I don't have a problem with booze; I have a problem with baked goods. My addiction started out small -- a donut here, a cookie there, all recreational use. Then the holidays hit and my need started to escalate. An extra piece of pecan pie couldn't hurt me -- homemade banana bread for breakfast was good for you, right? Gee, everybody else was doing it. Soon I had to figure out how to support my habit, so I decided to give homemade cookies and candies to everyone on my Christmas list -- that way I could make extra and tweak out in the kitchen. I knew I'd hit rock bottom when I ended up at the Outback Steakhouse (8731 W. Loop 610, 713-218-0760), because word on the street was they made a gingerbread martini that was way chronic. Even though I'm a chain restaurant snob, that didn't stop me from enjoying this unbelievable, really-should-be-illegal dessert drink. Come on, folks -- it's obvious I need help getting this monkey off my butt -- which happens to be getting bigger by the moment.

The Gingerbread Martini at Outback Steakhouse

• 1 ounce Ketel One vodka
• 1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
• 1/2 ounce Kahlúa liqueur
• 1/2 ounce Monin gingerbread syrup
• 1/2 scoop vanilla ice cream -- semi-melted
• Whipped cream
• Gingerbread cookie

Because of corporate policy, Outback wouldn't give me the exact amounts of each of the ingredients (another reason I don't like chains), so I cooked up this version in the home lab and it was perfect. Mix the first five ingredients over ice, shake well, pour into a chilled martini glass and top with a generous portion of whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie. You'll be trippin'. -- Debbylou Mountjoy

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