I’m not sure if this is going to be especially endorsed by Eurostar, but it felt perfect and I would definitely do it again.

You’re going to have to make your own martini at home and bring the glass and chilled drink in yourself, but your reward is to feel extrêmement civilisé as you speed under the English Channel.

I had a trip from London and wanted to have as pleasant a journey as possible. It came on the back of a very busy week and I wanted to ease myself quickly into a mood of relaxation for catching up with friends.

With a journey time of one or two hours (depending on your destination), the duration feels absolutely perfect for a martini, especially during an evening trip. Unfortunately though, they are not served on board.

This is a shame – but it’s for understandable reasons.

Martinis are logistically challenging so it’s always going to be difficult on a train where space is at a premium. It’s also pretty risky to trust such a strong drink with hundreds of potentially irresponsible travellers hurtling (albeit smoothly) at hundreds of kilometres per hour under the sea.

Nonetheless, I set out to enjoy one (just the one) by my own means and I can assure you that it was a happy success. Here’s how I did it:

You will need

• A V-shaped martini glass
• A robust container to hold and protect the glass
• A good, very clean flask
• Some paper napkins / serviettes
• Gin or vodka
• Vermouth to taste
• A garnish of your choice (I recommend olives for this one – you’ll see why below)
• Hand luggage to hold it all
• Several hours to chill the drink

How to do it

Make sure your bottle of gin or vodka is in the freezer for at least six hours.

Your vermouth should be in the fridge for the same amount of time.

Put your flask (with the lid off) into the fridge for a few hours to chill as well.

There is no point in chilling the glass. Given the time it takes to get to the train station, clear customs and board, you’ll be left with a wet, room-temperature mess. You’re going to have to accept that the drink won’t be super ice cold, but a good quality flask will certainly help keep things satisfactorily chilled.

Pack the glass in a reliable box or container.

I used this perfectly-sized tin of T2 Irish tea. The tea is excellent by the way – a hearty full-bodied yet soft Ceylon. It’s worth storing your paper napkins / serviettes in the container for extra padding as well.

Be very careful, because you’ll be devastated if you go to pour your onboard tipple only to find the glass broken. You can pack this container somewhere near the top of your luggage, potentially even the night before your trip.

When you’re ready to leave, pour your cold martini into a V-shaped glass, the same size as the one you have packed for your journey. If you are using the standard guidelines, this should equate to around 90-100ml alcohol. Pour the drink into a large jug then pour it safely into the flask (this is to get the quantity right while minimising spillage). Put your used glass and the jug in the dishwasher. Their mission is complete.

Seal the flask tight and pack it in the top of your bag, next to your packed glass for easy access. You might want to wrap the flask in a plastic bag for extra security, and to prevent any condensation from getting into the rest of your luggage.

Make your way to the station with plenty of time for customs and security. When you’re finally ready in your seat, take out your glass, flask and pour!

Guidelines

Unlike an airport, you are allowed to take liquids through security. Eurostar also allows you to bring your own food and drink onboard – but with reasonable limits. Presumably they have had to deal with rowdy customers on more than one occasion. How disappointing.

Their guidance is open-ended enough to allow for civility, but also judgement and discretion.

The main inference is to be sensible, act responsibly and don’t take the piss. One martini felt within recommended guidance. I also hadn’t drunk anything else before boarding. I didn’t want to go anywhere near the two martini rule.

My only regret is that the BYOM approach doesn’t support the Eurostar business model, which feels wrong. If they were somehow able to serve them onboard it would make the journey extremely happy, but as I’ve said before, I understand the logistical challenges of such an undertaking.

If you only have one martini, there might still be time to nip to the onboard bar and grab an extra non-martini aperitif before your arrival.

Olive or Twist

If you’re not sure which martini variation to try, I recommend a dirty martini with two olives. Your martini isn’t going to be as cold as one served straight from the freezer so a touch of olive brine can temper the fire.

You can also keep the olives in the freezer for a few hours. Add them to the flask when it’s time to leave and they can act as edible ice cubes, maintaining the cold temperature for just that little bit longer.

Despite travelling at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour the Eurostar is a fairly smooth ride.

Nonetheless, there is a risk of spillage so take care with the drink and have your paper napkin /serviette to hand, particularly for the initial stages of the aperitif when the glass is full.

Otherwise, get ready to enjoy peak martini socialism on the fastest train in the UK. This is such a delight and I hope many of you give it a try when you next ride the Eurostar – or indeed any civilised train journey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Martini Socialist (@the_martini_socialist)

Bon voyage!