On a recent trip to IKEA I came up with an idea.

I spotted V-shaped Storsint martini glasses for sale, but unfortunately at 240ml (8.44 oz) they are too large for a classic martini. Not only would your drink warm up while you were only half way through sipping from such a large glass, just one of these would technically break the two martini rule.

You’d pass out in your smörgåsbord.

At £3 each they are very good value for money, but they are more suited to fruity cocktails (i.e. ones with a non-alcoholic mixer to temper the blow). A hefty lemon drop or maybe even a very indulgent breakfast martini (or experimental Frukostini) would be more suitable but you could really only have one.

A better martini glass size is 100-120ml for more practical, chilled and mindful consumption.

However, another IKEA item caught my eye during the visit, and I bought several immediately.

The Spice Jar

The 100ml Citronhaj spice jars are the perfect size for a classic martini – not to drink, but to store. They are made from hard-wearing glass with a stainless steel lid for durability. They’re also £4 for a pack of four which is highly economical.

They are designed for herbs, spices and other powders and work out really well for a spice collection if you’re short on surface space. However, I did a little experiment involving liquid because I had something else on my mind.

While I can’t guarantee the reliability of all of the Citronhaj seals they certainly passed the water test (above) with no leakage with the ones I tried this out with.

As such, I thought they might make a suitable container for a liquid present.

How to use Citronhaj Spice Jars to make a Martini Gift

This is really easy. You simply mix up a drink, add it to the jar, wrap it up or tie it with ribbon and give it away as a small present. They can make a nice stocking filler.

Pour a classic martini (add a dash of vermouth to a martini glass and top up with gin or vodka) then pour this into a suitable jug. Give it a quick stir if you think it needs one. You can then carefully pour the martini from the jug into the Citronhaj jar.

If you use the martini guidelines and measurements here, one of these jars is the ideal size to store a martini. It should fit perfectly.

However, I would avoid adding a garnish unless you’re going to be using the drink that day. Some will turn bitter and some could start to ferment.

How to use the received gift

When the recipient wants to enjoy the gift, they simply place the jar in the freezer for six hours or more to chill to a civilised temperature before pouring. They could also add a garnish to the drink themselves.

Ideally the recipient will have martini glasses of the appropriate size which they should keep in the freezer for the same amount of time.

I use Arcoroc for my glassware but depending on your country you sometimes have to get creative sourcing them – especially if you’re ordering for personal usage.

If you bulk buy your glassware like I do, you could even give away a glass with the Citronhaj jar for a complete martini gift set.

Otherwise, I hope IKEA can reconsider the size of their martini glasses in future development.

Other Considerations

As well as Christmas gifts, there are clearly other circumstances where the Citronhaj jar trick might work.

They could be deployed as wedding favours if you wanted your guests to have a martini during the proceedings.

You could also gift them alongside some non-perishable snacks like tinned olives, pickles or nuts to provide the full service. Try Fragata from Andalucia for example.

Non-gift usage

If, like me, you catch up with your neighbours for drinks fairly regularly, this can be a handy way to transport martinis from one household to another. You can mix them up in a glass, using freezer-chilled gin or vodka. Pour them into the jars, seal them and take extra glasses fresh from the freezer to your next door destination. This is much safer than tottering around your building or neighbourhood with precariously filled glasses, spilling things in full view of the twitching curtains or CCTV concierge.

These jars could even possibly work in a bar if you wanted to pre-mix your drinks for customers. This could make your freezer management easier and drink-pouring faster, although it would also mean that you’re not able to adjust the drinks for customers who wanted their martini drier or sweeter. It might just be easier to keep your bottles and glasses in the freezer as per the professionals at DUKES Bar.

The jars work with other cocktails which don’t involve non-alcoholic mixers, such as the negroni above.

It wouldn’t work with anything involving a fizzy ingredient and I wouldn’t recommend using fresh fruit juice as this might go off. Non-alcoholic ingredients could also freeze which could push the jar to the limits.

Stick to hardened spirits

That’s generally my rule in life anyway…

This jar hack works well with infusions too. From right to left above we’ve got Dorrigo Pepper gin, Parmesan vodka and, particularly appropriate for IKEA, dill-infused vodka.

In conclusion, for a classic martini gift, this Citronhaj idea is affordable, practical, easy and special – exactly what martini socialism is all about. Oh, and they also make very good spice jars, as they were originally intended of course.