This is a slight departure from my normal work, but I’ve got a cold and was craving something less potent and more sweet and fruity than a martini. Enter the Old Fashioned cocktail. Apparently emerging in the early 1800s (it might even have evolved towards the late 1700s), this drink is a lot older than a Martini. It also has a reputation for being … Continue reading How to make an Old Fashioned Cocktail
A London variation on the classic Mexican drink. As I’ve said before, I don’t always drink martinis. I also like beer and lager, to name but a few alternatives. I recently wrote about the Mexican drink Micheladas and here I’ve come up with another variation. In its most simple terms, a Michelada contains beer/lager, the juice of a lime, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a … Continue reading A Spicy Umami Michelada
Overall a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed this restaurant. The martini I had was also very good, although I would prefer it a little colder (keep everything in the freezer) and with more lemon (squeeze the peel into the glass when pouring). Otherwise it was beautifully served. While I’ve seen this on the Internet, it was the first time I had actually drink a martini … Continue reading The Tramshed, Shoreditch: 4/5
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
I treated myself to some spherical ice moulds. Despite them having the appearance of something extravagant, they were actually quite cheap. I bought them online from Tovolo/Amazon for about £9 and they were delivered within a couple of days. On arrival I eagerly filled them with water and put them in the freezer. The finished effect is quite dramatic. The ice also takes a long … Continue reading Spherical ice
Once you get into this you will find that you have very little space in your freezer for food. I embrace it and buy things fresh. Continue reading Your new freezer
Tonight, the gin had partially frozen in the freezer. It was full of ice crystals and poured out like slush. It looked beautiful although it tasted slightly more dry than normal for the first 5 minutes before it melted. Continue reading Frozen martini
One of the most vital elements of a martini is the temperature. It has to be cold. Extremely cold! It is for this reason that I keep the gin and the glasses in the freezer. The glasses should be in there for at least 10 minutes (but preferably a few hours – and I normally just keep them in there permanently). The gin should ideally … Continue reading Temperature
The Martini Socialist 