Gin Mint Martini

Yes, I’m still working on that load of mint. I was thinking “what else would go well with mint?” when I hit on the Gin Mint Martini. After all, they do make mint flavored gin, don’t they? At least, some recipes I’ve seen call for it; I can’t say that I’ve ever bought any, though. A little experimentation resulted in the following recipe. Actually, I was surprised how good the first sip of this cocktail tasted. One important warning: stir, don’t shake, this martini. If you shake, you will end up with little turtles of semi-pulverized mint leaves swimming in the glass. Listen to the voice of experience and learn. Now there’s nothing wrong with mint leaves. Besides putting them in drinks, you can eat them. I often nibble on the mint leaves I use to garnish my Mojitos. But having little pieces of something green floating in their drink bothers a lot of people, me included. So use larger mint leaves that won’t slip through the strainer easily, and stir instead of shaking. Now, get out your Muddler and have at it!

Gin Mint Martini

6-8 Mint leaves

1 ½ teaspoons Noilly Prat® dry vermouth

2 oz Bombay Sapphire® Gin

Place the mint and vermouth into a mixing glass. Muddle 15-20 times to release the oil and aroma of the mint. Fill glass half full of ice, pour in the gin, and stir well, being careful not to rip up the mint leaves. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.