Make a Marvellous Martini for National Martini Day – 19th June #Blog

Victoria Hayes
19th June 2019

James Bond may be partial to a Martini, but he’s not the only one. It’s actually my favourite cocktail.

A really well made martini is a real bartender art form and I am sorry to tell you, I think old Jimmy Bond knows nothing about Martinis.

“Shaken, not stirred, will get you cold water with a dash of gin and dry vermouth. The reason you stir it with a special spoon is so not to chip the ice. James is ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it.” (J.B. T.W.W.)

A shaken martini is in actual fact, called a Bradford.

What our boy James is probably referring to, is the modern definition of “martini” which covers cocktails served in a martini glass. On this occasion I am more than happy to give him the benefit of the doubt and follow his definition for National Martini Day.

The foundation for a really great martini is a really phenomenal gin.

Gin has come through quite the revolution in the last few years, with new variations appearing daily.  We are blessed to live in a region which creates some excellent gins, both of the more classic, traditional style and some which follow this revolutionary gin wave.

The Edge Gin are a Cheshire based company making London dry Gin and gin liqueurs. The Edge small batch London dry Gin has been lovingly created with a unique blend of 10 botanicals including the super fruit Wolf berry giving this smooth gin a delicate sweetness that is thoroughly delicious.

This Martini Day we recommend giving their LYCHEE MARTINI a whirl…

Ingredients 

100ml The Edge London Dry Gin // 2 splashes of white Vermouth//  150ml Lychee juice (Recommended: Rubicon still Lychee juice)// A squeeze of fresh lime juice// Ice

Method

Chill two Martini glasses and your cocktail shaker either in the freezer for half an hour or by filling with ice until really cold and then draining.

Put a few drops of vermouth into each glass and swirl it around.  

Add plenty of ice to your shaker.

Add The Edge Gin, lychee juice and lime juice to the shaker.

Secure the top on the shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Strain into the chilled glasses and serve immediately.

If you want to try more of The Edge Gin’s offerings, we thoroughly recommend you check out the Alderley Edge Gin Festival, hosted by The Edge Gin on Saturday 7th September. You can meet the makers, sample gins from 7 different distilleries, take a gin masterclass and definitely get a taxi home! Tickets are available here.

If Lychee is a bit too sweet for you or you prefer the more classic Martini then why not try:=

HUNTERS GIN MARTINI

Ingredients

1 Dash of orange bitters // 70ml Hunters Gin (frozen)// 15ml Dry Vermouth // Garnish: Lemon twist

Method

Chill the martini glass by filling with ice cubes.

Add ingredients into a Boston glass and shake hard.

Discard the ice from the Martini glass and strain cocktail into the glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist.

Hunters Gin  is a Classic London Dry Gin, with a twist of Cheshire. The exact recipe for this citrusy delight is a closely guarded secret. However, fresh lemon and the orange bitters in this Martini recipe complement it perfectly.

If you need to stock up on some Hunters Gin, please do pop by our July Food Fiesta at Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Chester 5th and 6th July.

And finally, although maybe I should have begun with, this twist on the classic martini.

It was developed by Salvatore Calabrese at the Library Bar of the Lanesborough Hotel in 2000.  For those not familiar with this most venerated of cocktail institutions, it is almost a liquid museum of spirits. Tatler calls it “A Classic. Perhaps the classic…One great bar.”  

It’s a place that I can imagine James Bond (if he existed outside the silver screen) would frequent. I can easily believe that Mr Bond himself would drink this Martini.

TAPPERS GIN BREAKFAST MARTINI

Ingredients

50ml Tappers Three Fine Days Gin // 15ml triple sec liqueur // 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice // 1 teaspoon of fine sliced English orange marmalade
Garnish with a lemon twist (or a triangle of freshly made toast if feeling adventurous!)

Method

Stir the marmalade with Tapper’s Three Fine Days Gin in the base of a cocktail shaker until dissolved.  

Fill the shaker with ice and add the remaining ingredients.

Shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled glass.

Tappers Gin independently produce small batch boutique spirits in their home town of West Kirby, Wirral.  Three Fine Days is a summer seasonal gin. Inspired by the British summertime, which is said to consist of “Three Fine Days and a Thunderstorm”. It’s a refreshing twist on a classic citrus gin.

However you drink yours;  A martini will never go out of fashion, and it has stood the test of time.

It will always be seen as a timeless and classy cocktail, no matter if you are drinking it at the age of 25 or 95, you always look good drinking a martini.