A trio of delicious libations – aka – three martini recipes.
As a treat, or when we want to pretend we are Old Hollywood icons or starring in Sex and the City, we practice mixology with our favorite ingredients. We use a bartender’s shaker and glass, a shot glass to measure, and the ice strainer. And always crushed ice. It was a requisite when we bought our refrigerator.
Martini # 1 – The Classic
There are many variations in recipes for a classic martini. Here’s ours:
Ingredients:
gin
dry vermouth
olives (3)
Add 1/2 shot of vermouth to the big glass and two shots of gin per drink. Shake and pour, using the ice strainer to hold back the pieces of ice. The drink is cold and frosty, and is guaranteed to melt the stress away from a hard day on the set, dahling.
Variations: Use vodka instead of gin. Use olive juice instead of vermouth (a dirty martini) or just swish the inside of the glass with vermouth, toss it and add the gin. Use olives, cocktail onion, a twist of lemon or lime for garnishee.
Martini #2 – The Cosmo
This martini was made famous by Carrie and the girls in Sex and the City, but actually it is a version of a drink we enjoyed in our 20’s – the Kamikaze – with cranberry juice to tone it down. We use a recipe that our friend Jack gave us.
Ingredients:
Orange vodka
Orange liqueur
Lime juice, fresh or bottled
Cranberry juice cocktail
3-2-1-2 is the way I remember the proportions. 3 shots of orange vodka, 2 shots of orange liqueur, 1 shot lime juice, 2 shots cranberry juice into the big glass. Shake with crushed ice and pour into glasses. It makes a shakerful, enough for two large or three small cocktails. With martinis, as with wine and food, always use the best ingredients your taste and pocketbook allows.
This is my personal favorite and yes, I do fancy myself as Carrie Bradshaw of the older set. Well, after one or two of these, I certainly do.
Martini #3 – Key Lime
Here’s a recipe my sister’s boss gave her, “You need this for your vacation.”
Ingredients:
coconut rum
vanilla vodka
pineapple juice
lime juice, fresh or bottled or a combination
vanilla liqueur (called 43)
2-2-2-2-1 into the glass, shake with crushed ice. Rim the glass with a bit of lime juice and dip in graham cracker crumbs. This really makes it taste like you are drinking a piece of key lime pie. Who needs dessert when you can sip one of these instead?
Try them and let me know. What is your favorite martini recipe?
Vineyard, Too 