Lizard

The Lizard cocktail combines vodka, black currant liqueur (also known as Crème de Cassis) and fresh lime juice, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Lizard cocktail is essentially a Ballet Russe – a cocktail with roots dating back to early-to-mid 1900s – but with different measurements and a maraschino cherry garnish instead of a lime wedge.

The Lizard is spirit-forward yet also deeply fruity and zesty. The blackcurrant liqueur brings a rich, dark blackcurrant sweetness while the fresh lime juice adds a welcome tartness that balances out the blackcurrant liqueur. Absolut Vodka provides a clean, smooth backbone that elevates and supports both flavors.

There is no documented history for the Lizard cocktail specifically beyond its appearance on the Absolut Drinks YouTube channel in 2014.

It would appear that the Lizard was inspired by the Ballet Russe – a cocktail that likely originated in the early-to-mid 20th century and was documented in a cocktail book as far back as 1946.

• Use freshly squeezed lime juice
  Fresh lime juice makes all the difference – the natural tartness and brightness of fresh lime balances the sweetness of the black currant liqueur in a way that bottled juice simply can’t match.
• Shake hard until ice cold
  You want the drink properly chilled and well combined, so shake hard until the outside of your shaker feels ice cold before you strain.
• Double strain for a flawless finish
  Place a Hawthorne strainer over the opening of the shaker, then hold a fine mesh strainer over your pre-chilled cocktail glass with your other hand for a bar-quality result. Check out our article on double straining.
• Chill your glass
  We say it every time – a chilled cocktail enjoyed from a chilled cocktail glass will raise the experience. Pop your cocktail glass in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving.

• Make the Lizard with Wild Berri-Flavored Vodka
  Follow the recipe on this page but swap original Absolut Vodka for Absolut Wild Berri to accentuate the berry flavors.
• Add simple syrup
  If you prefer a sweeter drink, add a touch of simple syrup to the shaker for a slightly sweeter, more rounded Lizard cocktail that leans into the berry richness of the black currant liqueur.
• Ballet Russe
  Very likely the inspiration for the Lizard, a Ballet Russe is classic cocktail that shakes together 40 ml Absolut Vodka, 15 ml Crème de Cassis, and 20 ml lime juice. Add a splash of simple syrup to sweeten.
• Zipper
  Not so much a variation but a drink in its own right, the Zipper combines vodka with black raspberry liqueur instead of Crème de Cassis, omits the lime juice but adds lemon-lime soda. It’s served in an ice-filled rocks glass and garnished with blackberries and a sprig of mint.
• Raspberry Blimey
  Love the Lizard? Try the Raspberry Blimey – a closely related cocktail that builds on the same blackcurrant and vodka base, adding muddled raspberries, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice, served over crushed ice with a blackberry garnish. Check out the recipe for a Raspberry Blimey.
  
  
• Blackberry Martini
  This stirred martini shares two of the Lizard’s three ingredients – vodka and Crème de Cassis – combined in a mixing glass over ice and strained into a pre-chilled martini glass. Elegant, spirit-forward, and deeply berry-rich, discover how to make a Blackberry Martini.

• Serve the Lizard cocktail in a chilled cocktail glass for the most elegant presentation – the drink’s deep purple color is stunning, so why not show it off?
• A maraschino cherry dropped into the glass is our recommended garnish – it’s simple, sweet, and works beautifully against the deep berry color of the drink.
• If you want to make the connection to the Ballet Russe even stronger, garnish with a thin wheel or wedge of lime on the rim of the glass to add a fresh citrus visual element that hints at the lime juice inside.

Crème de Cassis is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants. It originated in Burgundy, France, where it has been produced since 1841, and has a rich, deep berry flavor with a slight tartness that makes it a versatile and much-loved cocktail ingredient. It’s featured in many classic and popular cocktails, including the Bramble.

The Lizard and the Ballet Russe share the same ingredients – vodka, Crème de Cassis, and fresh lime juice – and are prepared the same way, but differ in their ratios and garnish.

The Ballet Russe typically uses a higher proportion of lime juice relative to the Crème de Cassis, while the Lizard uses equal measures of both, giving it a richer, more berry-forward character. The finishing touch differs too, where the Ballet Russe is traditionally garnished with a lime wedge, the Lizard gets a maraschino cherry.

Yes, if you can’t find Crème de Cassis (blackberry liqueur), opting for black raspberry liqueur is the most natural substitute. Made from black raspberries rather than blackcurrants,  black raspberry liqueur has a similar deep berry flavor and color, though it tends to be slightly sweeter and more floral.