I had to fly last minute from London to Glasgow. I was in Gatwick South terminal on a Saturday night. I had come through security but I hadn’t had dinner or a much needed martini. So off I went in search of something to quench my thirst. The expensive caviar bar downstairs in the south terminal sadly doesn’t do martinis, although it has some exquisite … Continue reading The London Bar at Gatwick Airport
It’s been a while since my last post so I thought I would put up a brief update on my nice weekend. We had the first properly warm weather of the year. It was warm enough to light the garden fire pit and have a martini outside before dinner. It’s so nice to get outside again. I took this picture because I thought the lower … Continue reading Spring weekend
Normally I would only ever serve savoury snacks to accompany a martini, but there have been a small number of exceptions. I don’t have a sweet tooth but some of you might, so this is for you. I made some umami tuna steaks for a friend for dinner (thank you Laura Santtini for the recipe). We had a martini as an apéritif before the meal … Continue reading Sweet martini accompaniments
On the day that one of the worst things ever associated with the Hebrides is inaugurated as president of the United States of America, I thought I would highlight one of the loveliest things to arise from this part of the world. Harris Gin is so easy for me to blog about. Introduced to me by my generous cousin from Stornoway, it’s exceptional in many … Continue reading A Harris Gin Martini
We were clearing up the house after taking down all the Christmas decorations and we came across this mysterious bottle. Okay okay… I say “mysterious” but actually, as soon as I saw it I knew exactly what it was. Sometime in the last few years mum made some limoncello with vodka and lemon rind then left it to season. Obviously we forgot about it and … Continue reading Mums Limoncello from the Last Milennium
This is a very simple variation on the classic Gibson martini. I always found Gibsons to be very visually striking. They are garnished with a small pickled onion or two, and perhaps a teaspoon of the pickle vinegar, instead of the classic olive or lemon twist. They are bold and simple, with a slightly astringent taste from the vinegar. The Beet Up Gibson uses pickled … Continue reading The Beet Up Gibson Martini
My friends Gerry and Ko have set up a popup restaurant in south London, showcasing their creative talent and delicious food. The event took place in the London Cooking Project, a community-run culinary initiative in Battersea aimed at fostering budding catering talent in the area. We signed up and were provided with this tantalising menu. During a fairly manic pre-Christmas week it was lovely to … Continue reading French meets Japan supper club at Mirey’s Restaurant
If you’re wondering about what snacks to serve with a martini, you will find endless inspiration in the world of Izakaya. Izakaya can be roughly described as relaxed and usually low-cost Japanese gastro-pubs. I have written about them quite a bit before, mainly because of their warm atmosphere and inspiring array of tasty menu items that go very well with a martini. Quite a lot … Continue reading Even more Izakaya food
How do you know if your gin is cold enough for a martini? The simple answer is this: it has to be freezing. If, as per previous instructions, you have kept your gin and glasses in the freezer for several hours before martini time, you should easily pass this test. I recommend that martinis are made with freezer-stored gin and stirred briefly with the vermouth … Continue reading How cold should a martini be?
Thank you to everyone who came to our martini pop up bar at the end of October. We held it in ‘the Gallery’ on the Main Street of Tobermory, Isle of Mull. At the end of the tourist season I hoped that it was a chance for locals to relax and try something different. It was also a bit of a send off for us … Continue reading Our Second Pop Up Martini Bar
The Martini Socialist 