Lemon Drop Martini

Looking for a great recipe for the alcoholic beverage above? You have come to the right place! See below for interesting information about this alcoholic beverage as well as recipes.

INFORMATION:

The martini is a cocktail made with gin or vodka and dry white vermouth. Over the years, the martini has become perhaps the most well-known mixed alcoholic beverage. H. L. Mencken once called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude." It is also the proverbial drink of the one-time "three-martini lunch" of business executives, now largely abandoned as part of companies' "fitness for duty" programs.

While variations are many, a standard modern martini is a 5 to 1 ratio, made by combining approximately two and a half ounces of gin and one half ounce of dry vermouth with ice. Many Europeans, however, prefer somewhat less vermouth — about a 6:1 proportion of gin/vodka to vermouth. Because vermouth mixes easily and uniformly with its solvent (gin or vodka), a martini should always be mixed in a stirring glass. Reputable bartending schools insist that a beverage shaker tends to dull the taste of the vermouth, and some argue that it sharpens the taste of gin by "bruising" the liquid. However, it is relatively common to see a bartender mix a martini with a shaker due in part to the influence of superspy James Bond, who asked for his martinis "shaken, not stirred." This may be attributed to the fact that Bond drank vodka martinis and not gin martinis. The ingredients are mixed then strained and served "straight up" (without ice) in a chilled cocktail glass, and garnished with either an olive or a twist (a strip of lemon peel, usually squeezed or twisted to express volatile citric oils onto the surface of the drink).

While the standard martini may call for a 5:1 ratio of distilled spirits to vermouth, many aficionados may reduce the proportion of vermouth drastically. This gave rise to stories such as martinis being made by just passing the cork of the vermouth bottle above the glass, along with similar conceits about how little vermouth, i.e., how "dry," one's martinis are (see history below).

Another common but controversial variation is the vodka martini, which is prepared in exactly the same way as a standard martini, with vodka being substituted for gin as the base spirit. In the 1990s, the vodka martini supplanted the traditional gin-based martini in popularity. Today, when bar and restaurant customers order "a martini," they frequently have in mind a drink made with vodka. Martini purists decry this development: while few object to the drink itself, they strenuously object to it being called "a martini." The martini, they insist, is a gin-based cocktail; this variation should be designated as such, with the name "vodka martini" (it may also be called a "vodkatini" or a "kangaroo"). Further confusion may arise from confusing Martini vermouth, a brand of vermouth, with the martini cocktail.

INGREDIENTS:

GLASS:

Cocktail

PROCEDURE:

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well to blend the sugar. Pour strained liquor into sugar-rimmed martini glass.

GARNISH:

Garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

NOTE:

Many serve this drink with a sugar-rimmed glass. To create a sugar-rimmed glass, take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is moist. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.

We hope you enjoy your Lemon Drop Martini!

Looking for a great recipe for the alcoholic beverage above? You have come to the right place! See below for interesting information about this alcoholic beverage as well as recipes.

INFORMATION:

The martini is a cocktail made with gin or vodka and dry white vermouth. Over the years, the martini has become perhaps the most well-known mixed alcoholic beverage. H. L. Mencken once called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude." It is also the proverbial drink of the one-time "three-martini lunch" of business executives, now largely abandoned as part of companies' "fitness for duty" programs.

While variations are many, a standard modern martini is a 5 to 1 ratio, made by combining approximately two and a half ounces of gin and one half ounce of dry vermouth with ice. Many Europeans, however, prefer somewhat less vermouth — about a 6:1 proportion of gin/vodka to vermouth. Because vermouth mixes easily and uniformly with its solvent (gin or vodka), a martini should always be mixed in a stirring glass. Reputable bartending schools insist that a beverage shaker tends to dull the taste of the vermouth, and some argue that it sharpens the taste of gin by "bruising" the liquid. However, it is relatively common to see a bartender mix a martini with a shaker due in part to the influence of superspy James Bond, who asked for his martinis "shaken, not stirred." This may be attributed to the fact that Bond drank vodka martinis and not gin martinis. The ingredients are mixed then strained and served "straight up" (without ice) in a chilled cocktail glass, and garnished with either an olive or a twist (a strip of lemon peel, usually squeezed or twisted to express volatile citric oils onto the surface of the drink).

While the standard martini may call for a 5:1 ratio of distilled spirits to vermouth, many aficionados may reduce the proportion of vermouth drastically. This gave rise to stories such as martinis being made by just passing the cork of the vermouth bottle above the glass, along with similar conceits about how little vermouth, i.e., how "dry," one's martinis are (see history below).

Another common but controversial variation is the vodka martini, which is prepared in exactly the same way as a standard martini, with vodka being substituted for gin as the base spirit. In the 1990s, the vodka martini supplanted the traditional gin-based martini in popularity. Today, when bar and restaurant customers order "a martini," they frequently have in mind a drink made with vodka. Martini purists decry this development: while few object to the drink itself, they strenuously object to it being called "a martini." The martini, they insist, is a gin-based cocktail; this variation should be designated as such, with the name "vodka martini" (it may also be called a "vodkatini" or a "kangaroo"). Further confusion may arise from confusing Martini vermouth, a brand of vermouth, with the martini cocktail.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz. Citrus Vodka
• ½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ oz. Fresh Pomegranate Juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• Ice

GLASS:

Cocktail

PROCEDURE:

Shake all ingredients well with the ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a dash of rose water if available.

GARNISH:

Garnish with flamed orange peel.

We hope you enjoy your Pomegranate Martini!

Looking for a great recipe for the alcoholic beverage above? You have come to the right place! See below for interesting information about this alcoholic beverage as well as recipes.

INFORMATION:

The term amaretto refers to a sweet liqueur made from a basic infusion almonds or the almond-like kernels from the stones of drupe fruits, as well as a related biscotto (usually referred to in the plural, amaretti). Both originate in Italy, where major brands are still produced today.

The name is a diminutive of amaro, a cognate of the English "almond", the French "amande", and other such Latin-influenced words. In current Italian usage it means "bitter", indicating the distinctive flavor lent by the mandorla amara–the bitter almond or the drupe kernel. However, these are not unapalatably bitter, and their flavor is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter", and the plural, referring to the biscuits, suggests "little bitter things" or "things [that are] a little bitter".

Amaretto serves a variety of culinary uses. It may be served by itself, with ice ("on the rocks") or with other beverages, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, to create mixed drinks such as the amaretto sour and the Caffe Zurich. The latter drink incorporates amaretto and coffee, an extremely popular flavor combination: other mixed drinks call for Kahlúa, but in the everyday cup of coffee, nonalcoholic amaretto flavor may be added by means of widely-available flavored syrups, creamers, and so on. Other sweet concoctions blend ice cream or cream with amaretto.

Amaretto is added to desserts, which enhance the flavor with almonds or complement it with chocolate; savory recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.

Amaretti are not commonly used as an ingredient outside Italy. As mentioned, steeping them is one method of creating amaretto. The crisp texture of Saronno's macaroon lends itself to tiramisu-like creations. Amaretti crumbs might be sprinkled on top of ice cream or gelato, and Lazzaroni adds them to their line of chocolate bars.

Disaronno Originale (56 proof), the most popular brand, has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste and is known for its distinctive appearance. Calling itself the "original" amaretto, the brand claims the Luini tale as its own particular history. As the story is continued on the Disaronno website, apothecary Domenico Reina of Saronno improved on the young widow's creation in the late 1700s, creating a "secret formula" that became so popular his family still produces it in the town today and sells it worldwide.

The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano.

Formerly known as "Amaretto Disaronno", the company altered the name to "Disaronno Originale" after copyright issues arose.

Lazzaroni Amaretto (48 proof), produced by Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli S.p.A., also presents itself as the first such liqueur. However, it is based on an infusion of Amaretti di Saronno, a process which imparts a "delicate almond/apricot flavor". Lazzaroni claim the tale of the young couple blessed by the bishop as the origin of their the generations-guarded family recipe, dating it to 1718; the amaretto has been in production since 1851.

Lazzaroni Amaretti di Saronno are a popular brand of Italian almond macaroons, sold in various sizes and still wrapped in pairs in colorful paper. Both the biscotti and the liqueur are noted for their distinctive and uniform red packaging.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1¼ oz. Amaretto
• 3 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
• Orange Slice
• Cherry
• Ice

GLASS:

Collins

PROCEDURE:

Mix with ice in blender until foamy.

GARNISH:

Garnish with orange slice and cherry flag.

We hope you enjoy your Amaretto Sour!