A Western Isles Martini in Tobermory
A martini in the Western Isles Hotel in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. Continue reading A Western Isles Martini in Tobermory
Tag: gin
How to rapidly chill your gin, vodka or other bottles
I keep my gin in the freezer permanently, so I’m always ready to mix up a frosty, cold classic martini. Nonetheless, we can all get caught short occasionally. If you’ve only got an hour or two to try and cool down your gin from room temperature to sub-zero (centigrade) here’s a tip that can at least help speed up the freezing process. First, get two … Continue reading How to rapidly chill your gin, vodka or other bottles
A Harris Gin Martini
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
The Popup Martini Bar
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
A Martini with Hayman’s Gin
I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. A very good friend and reader of this blog presented me with a bottle of this gin from Haymans. I instantly loved the branding and packaging. The colours, dark blue and gold, were positively regal. So I put the bottle in the freezer and awaiting a visit from my friend so we could have … Continue reading A Martini with Hayman’s Gin
Martinis ad infinitum
So many martinis… Here’s one at home with a sprig of lavender. In the garden during a hot summer sunset. Dawn breaks over London. Yes, this happened at dawn. Whoops. A more strategic martini, here with the Lewis Chessmen in the background. Martinis, wine, olives and walnuts on a tree stump in the garden on a summer’s evening. A … Continue reading Martinis ad infinitum
The Botanist Gin
“Which martini would you drink in the event of a zombie apocalypse?” Bear with me as I explain the link… I have mentioned before that I come from the Hebrides. I was therefore very keen to taste this gin, crafted on the island of Islay. In the event of some kind of apocalypse or worldwide catastrophe (zombies etc), I always thought that my … Continue reading The Botanist Gin
A Martin Miller’s Gin martini
I first collected a bottle of this gin in Madrid airport duty free. The unusual branding caught my eye. Made with pure Icelandic water with a traditional English gin technique, it sits in a tall, proud-looking bottle with straight lines and clean imagery. There are strong maritime tones to the bottles appearance. The gin has a crisp, dry flavour that you can lose in … Continue reading A Martin Miller’s Gin martini
Tanqueray in a martini
I’ve previously mentioned my penchant for Plymouth Gin which I find smooth and strong on juniper, but tanqueray is another favourite. There has definitely been a bit of a backlash (not a unanimous one though) against some of the more florally extravagant brands of gin to emerge over recent years. I would feel inclined to agree as I like gin to taste of juniper and … Continue reading Tanqueray in a martini
How to cool down your gin very quickly
Here is a little tip my brother taught me. If you need to cool down a bottle of gin and you don’t have a lot of time (say an hour or so) don’t panic, you can do the following: Take some kitchen paper (one or two sheets). Run them under the tap then wrap them around the bottle. Put it in the freezer for an … Continue reading How to cool down your gin very quickly
The Martini Socialist 