The Smoking Ember Martini

Here is a great martini for winter sipping. It has a savory-smoky charm from the addition of an Islay Scotch. For this drink we recommend specific brands, finding each lends a particular layer to the drinks flavor profile. That said, the drink will work with substitutions and is worthy of experimentation. One thing that is without exception is due diligence in the chilling of all ingredients. Great Martinis should be painfully cold and attention to detail in making sure all parts are ice cold (including the garnish) is imperative.  Cheers!

Preparations:

Roast Garlic Cloves (for Roasted Garlic Stuffed Queen Olives)

Large Queen Olives (pimento removed)

Chill Small Portion of Laphroaig 10 Year in the Freezer*

Roasted Garlic

Heat oven to 350 degrees F

Take individual cloves of garlic (skin on preferred). Lay cloves on a baking sheet.

Drizzle cloves lightly with olive oil tossing to coat.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (turning midway), till lightly browned and fragrant.

Remove from oven and let cool

Peel off skins and stuff each into a large pitted Queen Olives

Refrigerate until cold.

 

The Smoking Ember Martini

 In a shaker glass filled with ice add:

1/2 ounce of Contratto Bianco Vermouth

Shake to coat the ice in the shaker glass then strain.  Discarding the vermouth but keeping the seasoned ice.  Over the seasoned ice pour:

2 ounces of Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin

Shake vigorously and strain into a pre-chilled Martini Saucer.  Drop two speared roasted garlic stuffed olives in bottom of the glass (before floating scotch).  Using the back of a bar spoon gently float:

1/4 Ounce of Laphroaig (prechilled) on top of the Martini.

Enjoy!

*Since it is not typical that we drink our Laphroaig Scotch cold, and this recipe requires it to be ice cold, we suggest finding a small bottle and transferring a few ounces into it for freezing. No sense in putting your whole bottle of Laphroaig in the freezer.