This is one of my favourite places in the world. Oyster happy hour is a must! I’ve previously mentioned how well seafood goes with a martini, especially the simplistically delicate oyster, so a bar/restaurant that specialises in briny goodness was always going to get me excited. However, I’ve got to focus on the martini and not get too ahead of myself. Using my martini rating … Continue reading The Mermaid Inn, NYC 4.5/5
I’m just going to leave this here… What could be easier than olives and cheese-stuffed peppers that you picked up at the shops on the way home? I particularly like the colour contrast of these two. Oh and the taste. You can’t go wrong with the lemony-buttery taste of Nocellara olive flesh, while the soft creamy cheese paired very indulgently with the sweet piccante … Continue reading More martini snacks and canapes
Here is a simple selection of some recent martinis I had. A classic on the balcony. A classic in the kitchen. A classic at the barbecue. More balcony. Even more on the balcony, this time a dirty martini with olives. This time with more olives and fewer clouds. A langoustini. And finally, a candlelit martini with snacks. Continue reading More recent martinis
I was picking up some supplies in the supermarket when this gin caught my eye. Bombay London Dry Gin: more muted in appearance than its bright blue Sapphire sister, it has a simple, almost stringently-coloured branding. I am not a fan of floral or overly botanical gins in my martini so I though that this one with only 8 botanicals (to Sapphire’s 10) might provide … Continue reading A Bombay Dry Martini
Several months ago, my auntie suggested that we hold a popup martini bar in our family restaurant. The venue is the Gallery, on the Main Street of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull (a beautiful and friendly Hebridean Island in Argyll, western Scotland). We thought about the idea for a while but it remained firmly in the land of fantasy for quite some time. Then, … Continue reading The Popup Martini Bar
As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Izakaya culture. So here are some more izakaya-inspired dishes to accompany a martini. This is very simple: grill sweet potato in oil with a sprinkling of salt until ready. I was drinking a martini when I made this so I can’t remember how long it was in the oven for. 20 minutes? Who knows. There’s a reason … Continue reading More Izakaya dishes
This post isn’t about martinis but I wanted to tell you about a cool bar I visited in East London, as well as the wonder that is Irish Poitín. I nipped into an Irish bar in Bethnal Green for a quick drink with some friends from Latvia and Lithuania. (Take that Brexit, we’ve got no place for your xenophobia on this blog). Apart from a … Continue reading The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green
I’ve previously mentioned my liking for seaweed so I thought I would make my own to go with a martini. After a fairly long walk on the Isle of Mull, I was looking around the beach for something edible to forage. The tide was fairly high but there were several rockpools containing thick gutweed, as above. This dark-green, grass-like seaweed lives in upper tidal areas, … Continue reading A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed
This one is a real treat of colour. A martini made with saffron is beautiful to look at, with interesting, subtle botanicals. But what you would expect if you take the rarest, most expensive spice and infuse it into the most elegant of drinks? Note that you can also buy very high quality saffron gin ready made here. I cannot claim credit for the original recipe. … Continue reading The Saffron Martini
I drifted into borough market the other day and found myself standing in front of a fishmonger’s counter staring at all the produce. I couldn’t leave empty handed and suddenly felt a craving for salty, briny oysters so I bought a handful.I’ve made a martini with oysters before (you can see the blog post here). This time, though, I was inspired by a story I’d … Continue reading A Martini with Crushed Oyster Shell
The Martini Socialist 