As autumn is fast approaching, we must catch every ray of sun we can. So why not catch some with our cocktail of the month. This martini is the perfect blend of sweet and sour. Not to mention it’s aesthetically enticing appearance. Anything with the name martini immediately speaks of class and elegance with one theory of its creation being that it was the drink of choice in San Francisco in the 1860s. The wealthy would enjoy a version of this cocktail before hopping on the ferry to the town of ‘Martinez’.
Raspberry lemon martini – recipe serves 1
(cocktail shaker and strainer necessary)
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Raspberries – 6
Lemon juice – 35ml
Triple sec/Cointreau – 25ml
Vodka – 50ml (there are a number of Sussex vodkas now available to make this truly local)
Raspberry cordial – 35ml
One of my favourite features of this cocktail is the sugar rim around the glass (for those who may have less of a sweet tooth use salt like a margarita).
First, cut a small slice of lemon and glaze the rim of the glass with it (enough for sugar to stick to it). Then pour a small serving of sugar onto a plate and slowly twist your glass so that the lemon is covered with sugar.
Now grab your shaker and your raspberries. Pop the raspberries into the shaker and crush them to a pulp. Then add 1 shot of Cointreau (triple sec as an alternative) and your double shot of vodka (50ml). Finally, add your lemon juice and raspberry cordial. This recipe caters for a sweeter tooth however with raspberry being the sweeter ingredient and lemon juice being sour, you can adjust the measurements of each to what suits you best. Once all ingredients are in the shaker, add a couple of ice cubes and begin to shake your cocktail. Ideally shake for 45 seconds.
Almost done, now grab your sugar covered glass and add some ice. Grab your strainer and pour your cocktail into the glass, meaning all the seeds and remaining raspberries stay away from your cocktail. For decoration cut a small lemon slice and add it to the glass.
Et voila! Cheers and enjoy!
If you’ve enjoyed this Sussex cocktail, you may also like:
Folklore & Cocktails at Slake Spirits in Worthing
Sussex Mocktails
Three Very Different Sussex Gins
Contributed by Greta Pitts
