I keep my gin in the freezer permanently, so I’m always ready to mix up a frosty, cold classic martini. Nonetheless, we can all get caught short occasionally.

If you’ve only got an hour or two to try and cool down your gin from room temperature to sub-zero (centigrade) here’s a tip that can at least help speed up the freezing process.

First, get two sheets of kitchen paper.

Lightly wet them under a tap, then hold them vertically, trying not to get them tangled, until the moisture spreads evenly (this should only take a second or two).

Lay the kitchen paper down on a smooth, clean surface.

Place your bottle at one end.

Then roll up the bottle in the kitchen paper.

It might not look like the most sightly bottle you ever used, but this will speed up the process.

Place the bottle in the freezer and leave it there as long as you can. It will speed up the chilling process and you will start to notice it within 30 minutes. If you can wait for two hours, even better. Why not rustle up some snacks or an amuse bouche or two to keep your guests entertained before the martini round?

You might still need to shake the final product with ice if your guests are craving a martini sooner rather than later, but it’s a start.

Note that this is also a really quick way to chill wine if you’ve only got half an hour.