The Martini is a truly American creation, so what better drink to enjoy on Thanksgiving?

I’m normally content with a classic martini or a Gibson but if you want to get particularly seasonal then this recipe is pretty easy, with evocative flavours that go with both gin and vodka so you can choose which spirit you prefer in your martini.

The main thing is to infuse the gin or vodka, maybe for a couple of days in the fridge, before straining into a container and keeping it in the freezer for at least six hours alongside your martini glasses before serving.

You then pour the drink, and garnish it with something seasonal, colourful and tasty.

Note that this would also be suitable for Christmas!

Equipment

You will need the same equipment as when you make a classic martini.

I also recommend doing this DUKES style so you get the drink nice, cold and frosty.

As such, you will need a freezer, a peeler, a sharp knife and toothpicks, as well as martini glasses, ideally around 100-130ml / 3.4 – 4.4 US fluid ounces in size.

Ingredients

I think the flavours of orange and thyme go very nicely in this drink, plus a garnish involving cranberry seems both fitting as well as nicely colourful for this time of year. As such, you will need the following ingredients:

• At least 2 fresh oranges – one for the day you infuse the spirit and another for the day you want to serve the drink.
• Cranberries (dried for a tasty, edible garnish and fresh for a bright, aesthetic but inedible garnish).
• Fresh thyme
• Gin/vodka
• Vermouth

How to Prepare your Thanksgiving Martini

There are three different steps in this process.

The first is to infuse your gin or vodka, which will take 2-3 days. Next, on the day you want to pour the drink, you will need to make sure certain things are in the freezer for at least six hours before pouring. Then you will create the drink itself.

A few days in advance

Take a few strips of orange peel to infuse your gin or vodka. As a rough ratio I would recommend the peel of half an orange to around 200ml / 4-8 US fluid ounces of spirit.

Add the peel and the gin or vodka to a clean jar. Seal it and put it in the fridge.

Take a bunch of thyme and add it to a clear jar. Top it up with gin or vodka as well. As a rough ratio I would recommend a couple of sprigs to around 200ml / 4-8 US fluid ounces.

Put it in the fridge by the orange infusion. Shake both jars every day for 2-4 days, then strain and discard the orange peel and thyme, or save them for cooking, although note that they will taste fairly heady because of the booze so, perhaps use them in a roast but discard them when the cooking is finished.

Add the two jars to the freezer, as well as your v-shaped glasses and let them chill for at least 6 hours – although you can leave the jars in there for months. I would only leave the glasses in there for a day or two though just so they don’t pick up any freezer odour.

When it’s time to pour

The most complicated, but hopefully worthwhile stage of pouring this Thanksgiving martini is preparing the garnish.

Peel a strip of zest from a fresh orange. Squeeze it gently into a v-shaped glass from the freezer, so you impart the orange oil – much like you would with a strip of lemon peel with a classic martini.

I like to shape the peel so it is neat and not too big for the glass.

You now have some options.

You can use a toothpick to pierce two holes at different ends of the peel, then push through a sprig of thyme.

Alternatively, if you’re using cranberries, take a handful and thread them onto a toothpick.

You can then thread the orange peel onto the toothpick to encase the berries to make a colourful garnish for your martini.

You can even go a step further and thread a sprig of thyme through the holes in the orange peel as well.

Next, take your infused gin or vodka (both the orange and the thyme version) out of the freezer.

Pour a little vermouth to taste into the glass, then top it up with a mixture of the two types of infused spirit. I normally make it half-and-half but you can change the ratio if you prefer one flavour over another.

Use the garnish to lightly stir the drink, then serve immediately.

You can serve all sorts of things alongside the drink. I find pecans are a nice, seasonal choice, and not so heavy that it spoils your appetite for dinner.

Alternatively, it can make a very heady digestif, so you could serve it alongside something sweet. Maybe something involving apple, maple syrup or berries.

However you have it, I hope you enjoy it. Please share any thoughts you have in the comments below. Otherwise have a happy Thanksgiving when it gets to you!