Most of my posts are about gin, vodka, drinking, partying, celebrating etc. But not today. Today I have a cold. So here is a picture of some Lemsip. Happy Monday. PS I added lemon juice, honey, 1/2 tsp turmeric and some brandy. PPS don’t tell anyone I mixed brandy with Lemsip. Continue reading Lemsip
Have I emphasised the importance of temperature in a martini before? Oh yes. Yes I have. So when you’re making a classic martini you can use these tips to get it really cold. Keep your gin and glasses in the freezer. If you want added chill, spray the glass with water at some point during the freezing process (at least 30 minutes before serving time). … Continue reading How to make a really cold martini
I went with some friends to this French restaurant in London, located on Greek Street in Soho. It was an occasionally perplexing and even tense experience, although the martini I drank before my meal was nice. The staff were friendly and pleasant but there was a strange, intense and even chaotic element to the service. It was difficult to book a table, despite the fact … Continue reading L’Escargot Restaurant, Soho, London, 3/5
Here is a quick guide on how to infuse gin (or vodka for that matter) with green tea for you to use in a martini or an unusual gin and tonic. Simple, perfect, temperature-dependent, conducive towards mindful introspection… Am I talking about green tea or martinis here? I’ve previously made one or two gins infused with tea, such as Earl Grey but I wanted to … Continue reading Green Tea-infused Gin
I have sage growing in the garden so I thought I would make good use of it. When infused in gin it adds a subtle dimension to a martini. It also goes very well in a gin and tonic. Pick a generous bunch of sage leaves, approximately 15 per 100ml of gin you intend to infuse. Wash, pat dry, then roughly chop the leaves. Add … Continue reading How to make sage-infused gin (for martinis or gin and tonics)
I sometimes serve pickles alongside a martini as an accompanying snack. A pickled onion is the garnish of a Gibson Martini while I like Polish-style pickled gherkins on the side as well. However, I am also a fan of Japanese pickles – tsukemono / 漬物 – which I tend to find more delicate than their robust European cousins, so I thought they would make an … Continue reading An easy guide to making Tsukemono (Japanese pickles)
Here are some I made earlier… A frosty classic. A lemon drop martini with foam. An earl grey martini LINK with foam. A spicy Sriracha martini LINK A dirty Mr. Gibson (combining this with this) A tribute to the God of dirty martinis. A frosty classic with mixed nuts. A Gibson with olives and sliced pickled gherkins. Here’s a classic martini I made for my … Continue reading Another selection of recent martinis
I thought I would review my parents’ house to illustrate that you don’t need to be in a fancy bar to have a nice martini. I gave their venue full points for adhering to all the main points in the martini rating scale. They keep the gin and martini glasses in the freezer and they use lemon peel to flavour and garnish the drink. They … Continue reading Mum and Dad’s house gets 5/5 for martinis
It’s Christmas time and last night I decided to have a non-martini drink. I’ve previously mentioned my liking for akvavit for midsommar, but I also like it during the winter (to keep warm). I put some miniature bottles of akvavit (from Ikea) in the freezer for a day, then served them in heavy glasses and a single spherical ice cube. I like all the different … Continue reading Swedish akvavit
Let me know your thoughts by completing this poll. And if you need a reminder of what these martini variations all are, here are some pictures and links to the recipes: The Canadian Martini The Rosemary Martini The Cherry Martini The Lemon and Lime Drop Martini The Langoustini The Raitini / Cucumber Raita Martini The Lycheeni / Lychee Martini The Appletini / Apple Martini The … Continue reading POLL: What is your favourite non-classic martini type?
The Martini Socialist 