The Honey Beer is my first cocktail made with beer. It was created by Jill Schulster, co-owner of JoeDoe in the East Village, NYC. I read it in the NY Times. The reviewer said the sweet and salt together was reminiscent of a chocolate covered pretzel. Here it is:
Rim half of a Pilsner glass in wildflower honey and kosher salt.
Shake 1.5 oz gin (preferably a citrusy gin, try Bluecoat, JoeDoe uses DH Krahn) with 1 oz lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest, then strain into the pilsner glass partway filled with ice. Top with a full can of Dale's Pale Ale and garnish with lemon peel.
This would probably be a better summer drink, as it's really light and refreshing. Next time I might try adding a barspoon of honey syrup to get the honey aspect directly into the drink and not just on the rim. I'm sure you could try another pale ale, just keep in mind that Dale's is probably more like an IPA, it's pretty hoppy which you probably need to stand up to the other ingredients. Also keep in mind that drinking one is like drinking two drinks.
Showing posts with label Cocktails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cocktails. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
One Cocktail, Two Trials
Last summer I read about cocktails using black pepper in Imbibe magazine. I thought the spice of black pepper would go better with a crisp or cold night and last week finally got around to making the "Rye," which is kind of a lame name. Shouldn't a cocktail be named something other than its base alchohol? In any case, the Rye calls for black peppercorn infused rye, Domaine De Canton ginger liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup. To infuse the rye, you put 1.5 tablespoons of ground peppercorns in 500 ml of rye and let it stand for 48 hours before straining out the peppercorns. The resulting drink is very spicy, as you have the spice from the rye, the spice from the peppercorns, and the spice from the ginger.
An aside on flavor combinations: In food and drink, putting flavors together can be done by contrast, complement, and/or enhancement. For example, when pairing beer and cheese, beer expert Randy Mosher recommends complementary flavors, like a toasty, malty ale with a soft cheese like camembert; think grilled cheese sandwich. If you choose a hoppy beer with spicy food, the hops and carbonation will scrape your palate clean in between bites but you will also be highlighting and enhancing the spice of each; some folks like this effect but not all palates can handle it. You may want a sweeter, maltier beer with your spicy food to temper it, like a brown ale or abbey dubbel.
Back to cocktails. In a Manhattan, the sweet vermouth tempers the spice of the rye by contrasting with it. With the Rye, the ginger, pepper, and rye are only slightly tamed by the sour from the lime and sweetness from the simple syrup. It's a bold drink for sure, and not one I would recommend to be enjoyed before dinner or with food.
I got to thinking, what if I switched out the ginger liqueur for fresh ginger juice? My thinking was, fresher is always better. So I juiced some ginger and made a ginger syrup, as I have done when making the Penicillin, perhaps my favorite cocktail (I will write it up soon). Long story short, the ginger juice was too much. I had to add a couple of barspoons of simple syrup to my drink just to get it down, the spice was overwhelming. In this case, the spice from the liqueur is more than enough and fresher did not mean better.
The Rye. My wife liked this cocktail more than I did. It was a fun process but in the end too much like drinking a hoppy IPA with Indian food; my mouth was on fire. If you do want to try it, here's the recipe:
Rye
1.5 oz black peppercorn infused rye (I used Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded)
.5 oz Domaine De Canton ginger liqueur
.5 oz simple syrup (you may want a rich syrup, 2:1 sugar to water)
.75 oz lime juice
An aside on flavor combinations: In food and drink, putting flavors together can be done by contrast, complement, and/or enhancement. For example, when pairing beer and cheese, beer expert Randy Mosher recommends complementary flavors, like a toasty, malty ale with a soft cheese like camembert; think grilled cheese sandwich. If you choose a hoppy beer with spicy food, the hops and carbonation will scrape your palate clean in between bites but you will also be highlighting and enhancing the spice of each; some folks like this effect but not all palates can handle it. You may want a sweeter, maltier beer with your spicy food to temper it, like a brown ale or abbey dubbel.
Back to cocktails. In a Manhattan, the sweet vermouth tempers the spice of the rye by contrasting with it. With the Rye, the ginger, pepper, and rye are only slightly tamed by the sour from the lime and sweetness from the simple syrup. It's a bold drink for sure, and not one I would recommend to be enjoyed before dinner or with food.
I got to thinking, what if I switched out the ginger liqueur for fresh ginger juice? My thinking was, fresher is always better. So I juiced some ginger and made a ginger syrup, as I have done when making the Penicillin, perhaps my favorite cocktail (I will write it up soon). Long story short, the ginger juice was too much. I had to add a couple of barspoons of simple syrup to my drink just to get it down, the spice was overwhelming. In this case, the spice from the liqueur is more than enough and fresher did not mean better.
The Rye. My wife liked this cocktail more than I did. It was a fun process but in the end too much like drinking a hoppy IPA with Indian food; my mouth was on fire. If you do want to try it, here's the recipe:
Rye
1.5 oz black peppercorn infused rye (I used Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded)
.5 oz Domaine De Canton ginger liqueur
.5 oz simple syrup (you may want a rich syrup, 2:1 sugar to water)
.75 oz lime juice
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Mint Julep
The first time I had a mint julep was this past summer, though I've owned my own personalized, etched, pewter julep cup since I graduated from college. I'm not kidding, it was a gift from the Templeton family, who funded the honors program.
I got this recipe from watching Robert Hess make one on the Small Screen Network http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/
The site is a great way to learn the technique for each cocktail if you are a visual learner. I've seen recipes for juleps where you make a mint extract by wringing mint into a towel or something. But that's a bit complicated for what should be simple, refreshing drink. That way may be better for making a pitcher's worth, though. It's a great summer drink and it's the drink of the Kentucky Derby. So why am I posting about it in December? Because I'm just getting around to it.
On to the recipe:
Mint Julep
2.5 oz bourbon
.5 oz rich syrup
4-5 mint sprigs with stems removed
powdered sugar
Lightly muddle mint and syrup. Add bourbon, add crushed ice, stir. More ice, then garnish with mint sprig, dust top with powdered sugar.
A few notes on the mint julep. Be careful, it's extremely refreshing, yet extremely strong, a dangerous combination. You can get away with some pretty cheap bourbon here due to the strong flavor of the mint. I made one with Evan Williams Single Barrel and one with black label Evan Williams and could hardly tell the difference. Rich syrup is a 2:1 sugar to water syrup, if you have simple syrup (1:1) on hand, that would probably work fine, too. The pewter glass really is part of the show of the drink because it holds a nice frost, but a regular old fashioned glass will do just fine. You can order your own pewter cup after you get hooked on this drink. Crushing the ice is a bit tricky if your icemaker doesn't feature crushed ice. I plan to order a Lewis bag for the next time I make them. It's a canvas back that you whack with a mallot or a muddler; the bag absorbs the moisture and allows you to crush the ice as finely as you like.
I got this recipe from watching Robert Hess make one on the Small Screen Network http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/
The site is a great way to learn the technique for each cocktail if you are a visual learner. I've seen recipes for juleps where you make a mint extract by wringing mint into a towel or something. But that's a bit complicated for what should be simple, refreshing drink. That way may be better for making a pitcher's worth, though. It's a great summer drink and it's the drink of the Kentucky Derby. So why am I posting about it in December? Because I'm just getting around to it.
On to the recipe:
Mint Julep
2.5 oz bourbon
.5 oz rich syrup
4-5 mint sprigs with stems removed
powdered sugar
Lightly muddle mint and syrup. Add bourbon, add crushed ice, stir. More ice, then garnish with mint sprig, dust top with powdered sugar.
A few notes on the mint julep. Be careful, it's extremely refreshing, yet extremely strong, a dangerous combination. You can get away with some pretty cheap bourbon here due to the strong flavor of the mint. I made one with Evan Williams Single Barrel and one with black label Evan Williams and could hardly tell the difference. Rich syrup is a 2:1 sugar to water syrup, if you have simple syrup (1:1) on hand, that would probably work fine, too. The pewter glass really is part of the show of the drink because it holds a nice frost, but a regular old fashioned glass will do just fine. You can order your own pewter cup after you get hooked on this drink. Crushing the ice is a bit tricky if your icemaker doesn't feature crushed ice. I plan to order a Lewis bag for the next time I make them. It's a canvas back that you whack with a mallot or a muddler; the bag absorbs the moisture and allows you to crush the ice as finely as you like.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Hot Toddy
This is about the only thing I've been drinking since I fell ill about 3 weeks ago. The first time I had a hot toddy was several years ago. It was made by my mother-in-law when I was sick on a visit to Indiana, and it was about the strongest drink I'd ever had. It put me on my ass for about a 5 hour nap. And I still slept well that night. I've heard that some folks drink them even when well, on a chilly winter's night.
The toddy is so simple yet so useful. The warm liquid soothes your throat, while the alcohol helps rock you to sleep. Or in the case of my mother-in-law's version, knocks you out with a sledgehammer.
The Hot Toddy
1 jigger (1.5 oz) of the cheapest whiskey you have on hand
boiling water to fill the rest of the mug
a squeeze of lemon
a spoonful of honey
Sweet dreams.
The toddy is so simple yet so useful. The warm liquid soothes your throat, while the alcohol helps rock you to sleep. Or in the case of my mother-in-law's version, knocks you out with a sledgehammer.
The Hot Toddy
1 jigger (1.5 oz) of the cheapest whiskey you have on hand
boiling water to fill the rest of the mug
a squeeze of lemon
a spoonful of honey
Sweet dreams.
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Manhattan
Last week I blogged my martini recipe. Today I'm doing another classic, the Manhattan. Feel free to Wikepedia it if you want the history, but here's my history with it. My mother always told me that her mother drank Old Fashioneds--more on those later--and her father drank Manhattans. Hearing about my grandfather, who I never knew, and his drink of choice eventually led me to try to make one for myself. My first effort was probably more like a cheap Rob Roy, I used blended scotch (maybe Famous Grouse or Cutty Sark) and Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth, some ACME maraschino cherries and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. It wasn't bad, but thankfully I didn't peak there.
A whisky bar opened in center city Philadelphia a year or so ago, appropriately called Village Whiskey. It seemed like a place that could serve up a decent Manhattan, so I ordered one. This event spurred me and a buddy of mine to make our own Manhattans, comparing recipes and ingredients until we were satisfied. You can get as picky as you like, but what I love about this drink is it's simplicity and elegance. And t he cherry adds a bit of fun. Here is the resulting recipe, by ingredient.
The Whisky
Manhattans call for rye; some folks prefer bourbon. To me bourbon already has a sweetness to it that makes it a bit too sweet in a drink with sweet vermouth, and I think the rye spice is a nice balancer. I have tried a half dozen ryes or so. The one I ultimately settled on was Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded, a solid rye at a great price ($18 bucks), perfect for mixing. I felt vindicated in this choice when I read Jim Murray's tasting notes on it; he likes it. Unfortunately it's now quite hard to come by and so I am experimenting again. I really like the Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 6 year rye, but it's almost too tasty on it's own to mix it. Old Overholt is a bit too cheap tasting, though I used it at a Mad Men party and felt it was successful (Don Draper uses it in his Old Fashioneds on the show). Sazerac is decent as well. I don't really care for the Jim Beam Rye, and I'm planning to take another run at the Wild Turkey entry level rye. I've had a couple of fancier ryes but nothing I would use for mixing.
The Vermouth
Some folks like their Manhattans "perfect," meaning they contain both sweet and dry vermouth. I like mine with just the sweet. The best vermouth for Manhattans isn't even a vermouth, per se, but a sweet Italian wine called Carpano Antiqua Formula. It's a bit pricey for me, though, even though you only use a bit of it at a time it is a wine and once opened the shelf life countdown begins. So my sweet vermouth of choice is Dolin , it does a fine job, it's sweet but not syrupy, provides the "winey" flavor of the Manhattan without overpowering it or cheapening a decent rye. Currently I am using Noilly Prat sweet vermouth, it's not quite as good but more readily available. It's been a while since I've had the Martini and Rossi sweet, but I didn't think it was bad.
The Bitters
The classic cocktail craze has caused a range of flavors of bitters to be available. Manhattans call for Angostura bitters, which are the most readily available. You can probably even find them in your grocery store. I have been using the Fee Brothers Classic bitters (which also use the Angostura bark), but find them a bit too potent--one dash too many and you've overpowered the drink. The Angostura brand is the best.
The Cherry
Since Manhattans are one of my staple drinks, I brandy and jar my own cherries. I found a decent recipe online and I can do it for around 2-4 bucks a jar, not much more than cheap maraschino cherries and a lot cheaper than fancy imported cherries. There is a long history about the bastardization of the maraschino cherry due to Prohibition. I won't bore you to tears here but long story short I like to make my own cherries rather than using cheap store bought cherries. You can use them, though, if you don't feel like special ordering Italian cherries or brandying your own. There's no shame in it.
The Drink
2 oz rye
1 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
cherry
Stir rye, vermouth, and bitters till chilled. Strain into martini glass (chilled if you like) and garnish with cherry. (note: stir gently, and don't shake, otherwise you get a frothy drink)
A whisky bar opened in center city Philadelphia a year or so ago, appropriately called Village Whiskey. It seemed like a place that could serve up a decent Manhattan, so I ordered one. This event spurred me and a buddy of mine to make our own Manhattans, comparing recipes and ingredients until we were satisfied. You can get as picky as you like, but what I love about this drink is it's simplicity and elegance. And t he cherry adds a bit of fun. Here is the resulting recipe, by ingredient.
The Whisky
Manhattans call for rye; some folks prefer bourbon. To me bourbon already has a sweetness to it that makes it a bit too sweet in a drink with sweet vermouth, and I think the rye spice is a nice balancer. I have tried a half dozen ryes or so. The one I ultimately settled on was Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded, a solid rye at a great price ($18 bucks), perfect for mixing. I felt vindicated in this choice when I read Jim Murray's tasting notes on it; he likes it. Unfortunately it's now quite hard to come by and so I am experimenting again. I really like the Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 6 year rye, but it's almost too tasty on it's own to mix it. Old Overholt is a bit too cheap tasting, though I used it at a Mad Men party and felt it was successful (Don Draper uses it in his Old Fashioneds on the show). Sazerac is decent as well. I don't really care for the Jim Beam Rye, and I'm planning to take another run at the Wild Turkey entry level rye. I've had a couple of fancier ryes but nothing I would use for mixing.
The Vermouth
Some folks like their Manhattans "perfect," meaning they contain both sweet and dry vermouth. I like mine with just the sweet. The best vermouth for Manhattans isn't even a vermouth, per se, but a sweet Italian wine called Carpano Antiqua Formula. It's a bit pricey for me, though, even though you only use a bit of it at a time it is a wine and once opened the shelf life countdown begins. So my sweet vermouth of choice is Dolin , it does a fine job, it's sweet but not syrupy, provides the "winey" flavor of the Manhattan without overpowering it or cheapening a decent rye. Currently I am using Noilly Prat sweet vermouth, it's not quite as good but more readily available. It's been a while since I've had the Martini and Rossi sweet, but I didn't think it was bad.
The Bitters
The classic cocktail craze has caused a range of flavors of bitters to be available. Manhattans call for Angostura bitters, which are the most readily available. You can probably even find them in your grocery store. I have been using the Fee Brothers Classic bitters (which also use the Angostura bark), but find them a bit too potent--one dash too many and you've overpowered the drink. The Angostura brand is the best.
The Cherry
Since Manhattans are one of my staple drinks, I brandy and jar my own cherries. I found a decent recipe online and I can do it for around 2-4 bucks a jar, not much more than cheap maraschino cherries and a lot cheaper than fancy imported cherries. There is a long history about the bastardization of the maraschino cherry due to Prohibition. I won't bore you to tears here but long story short I like to make my own cherries rather than using cheap store bought cherries. You can use them, though, if you don't feel like special ordering Italian cherries or brandying your own. There's no shame in it.
The Drink
2 oz rye
1 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
cherry
Stir rye, vermouth, and bitters till chilled. Strain into martini glass (chilled if you like) and garnish with cherry. (note: stir gently, and don't shake, otherwise you get a frothy drink)
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Martini
The proper union of gin and vermouth is a great and sudden glory; it is one of the happiest marriages on earth, and one of the shortest lived. – Bernard DeVoto
I received a request to blog about martinis. I am very flattered, as this must mean the other cocktails I've made for this individual must have been decent. The martini was the first cocktail I ever made. I saw someone making one at a party I went to while studying abroad in Oxford, and I was very intrigued. But at that time I was just diving into the international beer scene, and my experience with hard alcohol was a ways off. I'm not sure exactly what triggered it, but one day I did some reading online and set out to make my first martini. I bought Gordon's gin and Martini and Rossi dry vermouth, and some stuffed olives. I mixed it up, and fell in love. I loved the saltiness provided by the olives and the way the gin and vermouth hang together in your mouth long after you take a sip. For a while this was my drink of choice, as it was really the only thing I knew how to make. During that time I bought into the hype of the ultra dry martini, meaning the less vermouth the better. Winston Churchill supposedly made his martinis by filling a glass with gin and then looking at a bottle of vermouth. They even sell misters that simply coat the top of your drink with vermouth. But as I got into classic cocktails, I felt that the modern martini was not even a true cocktail. I want to taste the vermouth, otherwise why bother? Old time martinis were a one-to-one ratio. I wouldn't recommend that, but it just goes to show you how cocktails change so much over time, to the point where they are a shadow of their former selves. Sometimes they improve, but sometimes you lose something in that process. By the way, a martini is a drink made with gin. Folks that want vodka should be the ones specifying. A "martini" is a gin martini, in my book.
My martini
The martini is such an individualized drink, only you can decide whether you like olives or a twist, a rinse with orange bitters, or if you like it a bit dirty. But this is how I make my martini, according to each ingredient.
The Gin.
This is the most important element, as it's the base spirit. My favorite gin is Bluecoat, distilled in the fine city of brotherly love. It has a citrusy element to it, and some bartenders might say it would work better with a twist but I still like it with my olives. I use gin for a lot of other cocktails and I find it versatile and a decent price point ($25). Plymouth is the original martini gin and there are plenty of other gins out there to try. The cheapest gin I can recommend is New Amsterdam at around $15 a bottle. It claims to be "so smooth you could drink it straight," which is not entirely true--it does have a bit of bite--but it's a decent value, especially the 1.75 ml size which goes on sale for $20 a bottle. New Amsterdam is also a good option for experimenting with cocktails, it has a similar flavor profile as Bluecoat but if you mess something up while making a complicated cocktail you don't feel too bad. I would also like to try a martini with Genevieve, gin's oilier cousin, but haven't yet.
The Vermouth.
I started with Martini and Rossi dry vermouth and once one of my friends asked me if "Stock" vermouth would be okay. I responded "yes;" at that time I thought they were all the same. But vermouth is a wine, obviously there is a range of quality. A lot of Americans that have been using Noilly Prat dry vermouth for years are upset because they recently stopped making their export version and now send the one they've been selling in the French market. Supposedly it's more herbal and some folks think too much flavor for a dry martini. I've only had the old American version and it's decent. I really like Dolin, a few bucks more than Martini and Rossi but I think worth it, as it lasts several months in the fridge and you only need a little for each drink. Long story short, I would recommend Dolin but if you don't want to hunt it down Martini and Rossi is good and you can buy the smaller bottle which is handy if you aren't pounding martinis constantly. Or you could try Noilly Prat. Okay, maybe a few vermouths will do, but I wouldn't go bottom shelf like Stock. I've heard Vya is a good vermouth but better on it's own than in a martini.
The Olives.
I've tried fancy olives, but for me Goya queen stuffed work great, 2 bucks a jar, nothing fancy, but good nonetheless.
The technique.
Shaken, stirred, it's all the same. Some folks think shaking "bruises" the gin, thus releasing more flavor, but I don't buy it. Even though this post wound up being long, to me the martini should be a simple, everyday cocktail and the simpler the better. I shake my martinis but it's a matter of preference. If you like, keep the gin in the freezer to prevent over diluting your drink. I don't have any fancy metal olive toothpicks or anything, I just let them sink to the bottom of the glass. I wouldn't say I like my martini "dirty"--meaning with a lot of olive juice--but I don't mind a few drops of juice dripping from the spoon as I put them in the drink. For one martini I use a full 1.5 oz shot of gin and .5 oz of vermouth.
Without further ado...
The Drink
3 parts gin
1 part dry vermouth
3 olives
Chill martini glass(es) in freezer or by filling with crushed ice (discard before pouring drink). Shake the gin and vermouth, strain into chilled glass. Drop in three olives.
I received a request to blog about martinis. I am very flattered, as this must mean the other cocktails I've made for this individual must have been decent. The martini was the first cocktail I ever made. I saw someone making one at a party I went to while studying abroad in Oxford, and I was very intrigued. But at that time I was just diving into the international beer scene, and my experience with hard alcohol was a ways off. I'm not sure exactly what triggered it, but one day I did some reading online and set out to make my first martini. I bought Gordon's gin and Martini and Rossi dry vermouth, and some stuffed olives. I mixed it up, and fell in love. I loved the saltiness provided by the olives and the way the gin and vermouth hang together in your mouth long after you take a sip. For a while this was my drink of choice, as it was really the only thing I knew how to make. During that time I bought into the hype of the ultra dry martini, meaning the less vermouth the better. Winston Churchill supposedly made his martinis by filling a glass with gin and then looking at a bottle of vermouth. They even sell misters that simply coat the top of your drink with vermouth. But as I got into classic cocktails, I felt that the modern martini was not even a true cocktail. I want to taste the vermouth, otherwise why bother? Old time martinis were a one-to-one ratio. I wouldn't recommend that, but it just goes to show you how cocktails change so much over time, to the point where they are a shadow of their former selves. Sometimes they improve, but sometimes you lose something in that process. By the way, a martini is a drink made with gin. Folks that want vodka should be the ones specifying. A "martini" is a gin martini, in my book.
My martini
The martini is such an individualized drink, only you can decide whether you like olives or a twist, a rinse with orange bitters, or if you like it a bit dirty. But this is how I make my martini, according to each ingredient.
The Gin.
This is the most important element, as it's the base spirit. My favorite gin is Bluecoat, distilled in the fine city of brotherly love. It has a citrusy element to it, and some bartenders might say it would work better with a twist but I still like it with my olives. I use gin for a lot of other cocktails and I find it versatile and a decent price point ($25). Plymouth is the original martini gin and there are plenty of other gins out there to try. The cheapest gin I can recommend is New Amsterdam at around $15 a bottle. It claims to be "so smooth you could drink it straight," which is not entirely true--it does have a bit of bite--but it's a decent value, especially the 1.75 ml size which goes on sale for $20 a bottle. New Amsterdam is also a good option for experimenting with cocktails, it has a similar flavor profile as Bluecoat but if you mess something up while making a complicated cocktail you don't feel too bad. I would also like to try a martini with Genevieve, gin's oilier cousin, but haven't yet.
The Vermouth.
I started with Martini and Rossi dry vermouth and once one of my friends asked me if "Stock" vermouth would be okay. I responded "yes;" at that time I thought they were all the same. But vermouth is a wine, obviously there is a range of quality. A lot of Americans that have been using Noilly Prat dry vermouth for years are upset because they recently stopped making their export version and now send the one they've been selling in the French market. Supposedly it's more herbal and some folks think too much flavor for a dry martini. I've only had the old American version and it's decent. I really like Dolin, a few bucks more than Martini and Rossi but I think worth it, as it lasts several months in the fridge and you only need a little for each drink. Long story short, I would recommend Dolin but if you don't want to hunt it down Martini and Rossi is good and you can buy the smaller bottle which is handy if you aren't pounding martinis constantly. Or you could try Noilly Prat. Okay, maybe a few vermouths will do, but I wouldn't go bottom shelf like Stock. I've heard Vya is a good vermouth but better on it's own than in a martini.
The Olives.
I've tried fancy olives, but for me Goya queen stuffed work great, 2 bucks a jar, nothing fancy, but good nonetheless.
The technique.
Shaken, stirred, it's all the same. Some folks think shaking "bruises" the gin, thus releasing more flavor, but I don't buy it. Even though this post wound up being long, to me the martini should be a simple, everyday cocktail and the simpler the better. I shake my martinis but it's a matter of preference. If you like, keep the gin in the freezer to prevent over diluting your drink. I don't have any fancy metal olive toothpicks or anything, I just let them sink to the bottom of the glass. I wouldn't say I like my martini "dirty"--meaning with a lot of olive juice--but I don't mind a few drops of juice dripping from the spoon as I put them in the drink. For one martini I use a full 1.5 oz shot of gin and .5 oz of vermouth.
Without further ado...
The Drink
3 parts gin
1 part dry vermouth
3 olives
Chill martini glass(es) in freezer or by filling with crushed ice (discard before pouring drink). Shake the gin and vermouth, strain into chilled glass. Drop in three olives.
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