We had a family get-together but we ran out of gin mid-way through the night. I know. 

  
Luckily I found a bottle of Japanese sho-chu which I thought I could use as an experimental substitute in a martini.

Sho-chu is a spirit distilled from things like barley, rice, sweet potato or one or two other ingredients. It’s normally between 25-35% strength so is a lot stronger than wine but not usually as strong as gin or vodka. This makes it quite a versatile cocktail ingredient. 

I made my sho-chu martini using the following recipe:

• 25ml (or to taste) sweet vermouth
• 40ml chilled vodka
• 60ml sho-chu

  
Garnish with a twist of lemon and serve.

It has a warming, smooth taste and worked better than I expected. It also wasn’t as strong as a full-blown martini but the family hangover the next day was nonetheless still substantial. Kanpai!