Gloomy Martini + How to upgrade your drink

 

“Ok, I understand how to make simple cocktails at home with 2 or 3 ingredients. Now how can I easily upgrade these cocktails, besides swapping ingredients for other brands ?”

Adding a few drops of cocktail bitters does miracles. Cocktail bitters are the salt and pepper of the bartender. Angostura bitters and Orange Bitters should be standard in any (home)bar, since they are mandatory ingredients in lots of classic cocktails. But there are so many different bitters on the market, absolutely worth a try. On this blog you will also find a few recipes for homemade bitters. It’s easier than it sounds.

Most cocktails have a sweet ingredient which is mostly a syrup, cordial or liqueur. There are endless possibilities in playing with flavours in either one of these. Adding a little bit of flavoured syrup can change your entire drink. Always be careful, don’t use too much because it will ruin your drink.

My favourite : Adding a herbal and/or anise flavour to your drink. I like to use a good quality Absinthe, but you can also use Pastis, Pernod, Anisette, Ouzo, Raki, …
And you can do this in many ways :

• A rinse : Add a tiny bit of anise liqueur to your glass and swirl it around to add a thin layer to the inside of glass. Remove the rest.
• A coating in ‘Double Strainger’ style : The same as a rinse, but I don’t remove the precious high quality liqueur. Never use too much or it will alter your recipe.
• A mist or spray : Use a small spray bottle to add a mist of herbal flavours over your cocktail.
• A float : Add a very thin layer of spirit on top of your drink. When the cocktail is already in your glass, add the extra layer by carefully pouring it over the backside of a barspoon. This method is also used for adding a float of heavily peated whisky on top of a sour (e.g. Penicillin)

As an example, I’ll share this delicious recipe for an upgraded Martini :

 

Gloomy Martini

 

Ingredients

5 cl Beefeater Gin

2 cl Forest Dry Vermouth

½ bs Grenadine

Absinthe float

 

Method

Bring the gin, vermouth and grenadine together in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for 20 seconds and strain in a Martini glass. Add the absinthe float on top over the back of your barspoon. Enjoy !

 

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.