The Jasmine martini

While I was jogging this morning I was arrested, not by the intense heat, the failing of my heart or the police, but by the scent of jasmine flowers growing on a bush in the neighbour’s garden. As usual, my first thought was ‘how do I martini-fy this?’ I picked a handful (don’t tell the neighbour), but I’m sure you could use normal jasmine tea. … Continue reading The Jasmine martini

The Apple Martini (aka the Appletini)

This drink, the apple martini, took several attempts (and a strong liver) to perfect. My first recipe simply involved sour apple spirit (there are several brands) mixed with vodka (stored for at least a day in the freezer) garnished with an apple slice. 2 parts sour apple spirit 4-5 parts vodka Apple slice While visually appealing with its clear green hue, I thought its chemical … Continue reading The Apple Martini (aka the Appletini)

Le Jacques Coustini

For mid-summer I like to gather friends in the evening for seafood and drinks as the sun slowly sets. Akvavit normally features strongly in the blueprints for the night but before I served the food I wanted at least one martini as an aperitif. For a seafood theme I made a slight alteration to a classic gin martini, adding a dash of olive brine for … Continue reading Le Jacques Coustini

Japanese-style scallion / spring onion skewers

Inspired by Japanese bar food, I made some very simple spring onion skewers to accompany martinis. These are a very tasty snack. They are very simple ingredient-wise but can be a little bit fiddly to prepare. Nonetheless they can also be a very striking side dish. You could even serve them on top of a martini as an eye-catching garnish. I chopped the spring onions … Continue reading Japanese-style scallion / spring onion skewers