Just been necking a couple of dry martinis (yeah really, I’m hoovering up the New Years party supplies), shaken not stirred... whilst watching the Witcher... well it seems ok this side of some James Bond cocktails... but suspect it starts to feel a bit Shiite if you think too hard about it!
W Well, @DCS222, with what did you make those dry martinis? I learned early on that martinis are only as good as what they are composed of--each element is key since there are no "throwaway" mixers involved. My two go to gin's for martinis (for me, gin,, never vodka) are Hendrick's and The Botanist. For my "whisper" of vermouth I prefer Vya. And depending on my mood, I either do a lemon twist or blue cheese stuffed olives. My preferred proportion is 3 oz. gin to about 1/4-1/2 oz. of vermouth. Shaken not stirred (actually shaken to within an ounce of it's little martini life). And strained into a cocktail glass that has come straight out of the freezer. So, tell me about the Witcher. We'll be due for a new TV series shortly after we finish the last three episodes of Goliath.
my good lady wife like Sapphire (I like Lakes gin or Caorunn)... tanqueray 10 is pretty good too. The vermouth is just what we can get hold of, not a huge market round here for it. The precise merriments, I mean measurements, are one dirty git feck off sized glug of gin to one la’al splash of vermouth... technique as you described, but I only had lime peel to garnish. the Witcher seem ok at the moment, just watched the first episode and will watch again... I imagine it’s Netflix’s answer to GOT which I’ve never watched
That is definitely the downside to these Netflix and Prime TV series. One can binge watch a whole season but then ya have to wait (and wait and wait) for a new season to arrive. Sigh....
@Sandi T. just out of interest, I tried the vermouth on its own, chilled, and it’s very doable, possesses Chardonnay impressions whilst maintaining the punch of a fortified wine... nowhere near as heavy so thought it would be.
Good on you for trying it on it's own, @DCS222! That's right up my scientifically-minded notion of holding your variables constant. And if the vermouth is good enough to drink alone, it's most certainly likely good enough to use in your cocktail. It does make a difference what vermouth goes into a martini--I've had a terrific Hendrick's martini with good vermouth--and quite the opposite. Hendrick's martini with a bad--or a bad proportion of--vermouth which changed the whole thing.
In honor of @DCS222's experimentation, tonight I had a Hendrick's Orbium martini with Vya vermouth. The proportions I used were 2 3/4 oz. gin to 1/4 oz. vermouth. Technically it was a Gibson since I made it with cocktail onions. Yum! I told Mr. Sandi that this is my current favorite version of a martini. Those are rosemary and sea salt Marcona olives next to my cocktail.
Ok, this technically isn't what I'm drinking tonight like the thread title. It's what I drank this past Saturday night. I had a Botanist martini with dinner (not pictured) and this lovely combo for dessert. Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey with tiramisu with roasted pears. An outstanding pairing! And the martini paired well with my short ribs entree.
Lickin’ me lips here, Sandi T; But, hope you’ve already had a few draughts out of the whiskey glass...or it’s a very poor showing.
same as any tinned craft beer then.... however at £14 for 10, makes the price a much more reasonable (for craft beer) £1.40 a tin. @Sandi T. They sell a great back story... if you buy into that kinda thing... https://www.brewdog.com/uk/about But the main thing is that they come out with some great beers, I liked the Punk ipa first time I tried it and it’s still a regular purchase for me now, if I can find it discounted. I love the Elvis juice (ipa with grapefruit) as a mid session refresher... they have done some poor (imho) beers too, but because they do limited production runs, they don’t tend to stay in their line-up.
I needed some fortification, as the snow was piling in.. Rye Stout infused with coffee. 7.8% ABV and 65 IBU. Black as they come. A drink to frighten Guinness.
Holly crap batman, this is a fantastic opener for tonight... Zombie Cake...a praline Porter! Sharp, Dark caramel bitter with just enough sweetness... but not overpowering the porter! Bloody lovely! https://www.brewdog.com/uk/zombie-c...Dvlp6A2nzNh6b1qP11A0P8KjEAiroI4oaAodPEALw_wcB