It’s Hogmanay. It’s time this Scottish martini made a comeback.

For people around the world, the word ‘Paisley’ conjures up images of psychedelic teardrop patterns.

This beautiful print design actually originated in Persia, where the motif is known as the ‘boteh’.

Over the centuries it spread into India, before being adopted industrially in the British Empire. It was produced extensively in the Scottish textile-manufacturing town of Paisley, which is where it gets its name in the English-speaking world.

Paisley is situated just outside Glasgow, with an industrious past, and, in my opinion, a fantastic future. The town has some beautiful architecture, plentiful greenery and it’s within easy distance of Glasgow city centre, the international airport and, a little bit further, Ayrshire, Arran, beautiful Loch Lomond and the Highlands.

Hopefully for a growing number of people, however, the word Paisley might also conjure up an elegant, evocative drink.

The Paisley Martini

As well as textiles, Paisley was also a centre of whisky production, which is where this martini gets its name.

The Paisley Martini is very similar to a Classic Martini but with the slight, but distinctive alteration of it having a small splash of whisky added.

How to Make the Paisley Martini

You will need gin or vodka, a little vermouth, a whisky of your choice, a lemon to garnish (optional) and suitably sized martini glasses.

Put a bottle of gin or vodka into the freezer, as well as the number of martini glasses you intend to use. Your glasses should be v-shaped and around 100ml in volume. Beware of glasses that are too big. You can read more on the guide ‘How to make a classic martini‘.

Choose a gin that is relatively neutral. If it’s overly botanical it could create too much of a perfume for the whisky. Vodka also works very well.

When it’s time to pour, add a tiny drop of vermouth to the martini glass (anything from a spray to half a teaspoon), then up to half a teaspoon of whisky. Finally, add 80-100ml of chilled gin or vodka.

You can also squeeze in a spray of oil from a strip of lemon peel and use it to gently stir the drink before dropping it in as a garnish but this is optional.

Serve immediately.

Some words of warning

Remember that this is a sizeable drink. It should last you at least 30-40 minutes. Any faster than that and it will turn from ‘water of life’ to ‘water of death’ PDQ.

It’s also easy to make a bad Paisley Martini. You really need to be careful not to add too much whisky or you’ll overpower the flavour of the drink. Half a teaspoon is a good starting point. You can add more in half-teaspoon increments to taste depending on your preference but if you add too much it can be ruined.

Slowly slowly

If you want to experiment gradually, why not try a Smokey Martini first? This is the same concept as a Paisley Martini but the amount of whisky used is miniscule, like the vermouth in a Bone Dry Martini. You can rub a little whisky around the rim, wash and dump some out of the glass or use a bottle spray to mizzle a little fog of life into the drink.

You can then move up to a greater amount. Remember like most things related to martini recipes – it all comes down to personal taste and preference.

It’s also important to properly chill the gin or vodka in the freezer before pouring. The chilled spirit helps prevent the vapours from overwhelming you while you sip. For more tips on keeping your martinis cold, read this.

Light smoke

The Paisley Martini has a lovely, smokey flavour if you balance it correctly.

Personally I like a peaty malt for this, such as one from the islands, but choose whatever you think would work for you. I would recommend avoiding any with too much fire because that will clash in the cold glass. You want a soft malt.

As regards a garnish, you can leave it without, but I think it goes nicely with a twist of lemon peel. The combination of whisky and lemon will be familiar to many, especially in Scotland, Ireland and their diasporas in winter when a hot toddy (whisky, lemon, honey and hot water) is served to ease a cold.

It might also go very nicely with a serving of traditional Scottish tablet (a hearty, sweet confectionery item). Here’s a recipe from Baking with Granny.

Otherwise, it’s a beautiful martini to ring in the new year. All the best to all of you for 2024.

Bliadhna Mhath Ur!