via GIPHY
So last time on Name This Food! I asked you what this was...
The more perceptive among you will have deduced that it is the extremely popular espresso martini. One of a slew of martinis nouveaux that has found themselves suddenly thrust into the limelight, due in large part to the sudden resurgence in popularity of gin, which in turn was caused by the growth of small batch distilleries. Everywhere you turn there are new and unheard-of gins being lovingly crafted in distilleries the size of garden sheds and produced in small quantities with exotic and quirky botanicals for the benefit of these gin aficianados. Even here in Kent, we have several:
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| Anno, from Marden... |
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| Dockyard Gin from the Copper Rivet Distillery. Also pictured is their Vela Vodka and Son of a Gun Pure Grain Spirit. |
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| Maiden Gin from Maidstone. They also do a spiced gin and a marshmallow gin. |
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| Greensand Ridge,from Shipbourne (where is that, I hear you cry? If you were to draw a triangle connecting Tonbridge, Aylesford and Sevenoaks, Shipbourne would be somewhere right near the middle). |
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| Canterbury Gin, from, uh, Canterbury. |
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| And two from Tunbridge Wells (yeah, they always have to outdo everyone else in TW)... first, Bathtub Gin... |
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| and secondly, 1606 Gin. |
Anyhoo, the latest one to get in on the act is our own, our very own Chapel Down, the award-winning vineyard in Smallhythe that started out making Tenterden Wine in the 70s and now produces wines of all kinds as well as an award-winning lager (Curious Brew), which was then followed by a darker counterpart (Curious IPA), and Curious Apple, a 5.2% abv cider. Now they have branched out into spirits, with a 23-year old brandy made from their Seyval Blanc grapes, a fantastic Chardonnay Vodka (made from the distilled skins of their Chardonnay grapes) and a beautiful gin made from the distilled skins of the Bacchus grape. Phew!
Anyhoo, back to the answer - what's in an Espresso Martini?
The story goes that a man named Dick Bradsell who owned a bar in Soho in the 1980s was approached one night by a young lady who asked him to make her a drink that "wakes me up and then f***s me up."
Here's what he created. (Recipe from Jamie Oliver).
Makes one
Ingredients
50ml premium vodka
35ml coffee liqueur
1 shot (25ml) of espresso
Ice
Method
Pour the vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso into a cocktail shaker. Fill the martini glass with ice to chill and then fill the cocktail shaker with ice as well.
Put the other half of the shaker on top and give it a good tap to lock it in, then shake the living daylights out of it. You want the ice to smash up while chilling the liquid down; its what creates the frothy top. Try to use fresh-from-the-freezer ice, as melting ice is too watery and will dilute the martini.
Once shaken, tap the side of the shaker to break the vacuum seal. Empty the ice out of the Martini glass, then place the strainer on top of the shaker and pour the contents through a sieve directly into the glass. Using the strainer and the sieve helps create a rich, smooth, froth.
Garnish with 3 coffee beans and attempt to contain your delight.
Now... can you Name This Food?
