Drinking a martini is a ceremony and a special occasion. As a result, anything that might enhance the occasion, no matter how big or how small, is worthy of trying out.

Oshibori are hot (or sometimes chilled) hand towels, served ubiquitously in Japan, often before a meal. They are one of the many marks of refined civility and customer service that the country excels at.

The word oshibori is believed to come from the Japanese verb “to wring”. They are traditionally made by being moistened with very hot water then wrung out by the server – hopefully someone with fairly tough skin or at least a high pain threshold.

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They can be made from paper, include scent and/or some form of sanitiser, to be discarded after one use. However, the cloth version is much more traditional and sustainable.

They can technically be used on the face as well as on your hands but this is not proper etiquette, at least not in public. Nonetheless it’s very nice to use a hot oshibori on your face. It’s particularly good before a shave.

Oshibori give a sense of first class treatment as well as an almost spiritual feeling of being cleansed from the outside world before a meal is served.

Like many forms of service in Japanese culture, they constitute a wordless expression of respect and consideration. I feel that this quiet consideration is highly compatible with the service of a well prepared martini. I also feel that the contrast in sensations between a hot towel and the cold drink works very nicely.

In order to do these at home, all you need are hand towels and a microwave, but a plate to serve them on and potentially some tongs can also come in handy. I bought a set of Vågsjön hand towels from IKEA.

You can sprinkle or rub a drop or two of essential oil onto the towel before you microwave it, or you can serve lemon with the towel for your guest to squeeze on.

The oil is particularly effective for the full sensory experience. I use Dr. Oetker Sicilian Lemon, although the American Peppermint is very refreshing as well.

Note that a little goes a long way. Just 2-3 drops or the lightest smidgen of the oil on your fingertip rubbed into a side of the cloth before the microwave should be enough. Any more and you could overpower your guests.

How to prepare oshibori

Wash your hands.

Hold the clean towel under a tap or dip it in a bowl of clean water. Wring it out.

Lay the towel out on a clean flat surface.

Fold one corner in on itself, so that the tip of the corner just covers the centre of the towel.

Fold the opposite corner in to overlap the first corner in the centre of the towel.

Fold up the bottom corner so it overlaps the first two in the same place.

Start rolling up the towel from the bottom end.

When it’s rolled up fully you can neaten out the ends and straighten up the overlapping fold.

When it’s time to serve, put the towel on a plate and microwave it for about one minute.

It should come out steaming hot so you might want to use tongs to handle it.

Depending on the power of your microwave you might need to adjust the time. I also let my towel sit for one minute after it’s been heated before serving it so I don’t burn my guests hands.

Alternatively, if it’s a hot day and you want to serve your oshibori cold, simply put them in the freezer for an hour after you’ve folded them.

One you take them out, they will be hard, but will become more pliable in your guests hands when they start unfolding them.

Once your guests have arrived and have been seated, I put the plate carrying the oshibori next to them, warn them that it might be hot (or cold), take their martini order then go off to pour. The towels start to return to room temperature fairly quickly so don’t wait too long. For me, a hot oshibori feels ‘just right’ when it’s the tiniest bit too hot and there’s a slight buzz of light pain on the surface of the skin that lasts a few seconds. This is what feels really cleansing.

An oshibori gives guests something to do while I’m in the kitchen preparing their drink. It’s quite nice after any sort of journey through the city. On a winter’s day it can also warm up the hands before they are subjected to the cool stem of a highly chilled martini.

When finished, the guests simply put their used towel on the plate so it’s easy to take away and add to my laundry basket. In public, it’s better manners to fold it in a way that the dirty side is hidden/enclosed but I don’t want my guests to worry about that before I serve them the silver bullet.

You can then proceed with your evening feeling refreshed, clean, spiritually readied and with a relaxed sense that you are really being looked after by your host.

Enjoy your zen-state martini!