Martinis by Ben Reed

Martini bars are big in the United States with the craze about to catch on over here and as ever, Ryland Peters & Small have their finger on the pulse. Who better to hold that finger there than Ben Reed, former bar manager at the Met Bar and not to forget, author of the hugely successful Cool Cocktails. Even if the idea of a dry martini has your toes curling, all is not lost as Ben has come up with some delicious variations and with the words, ‘Any time is the right time for martinis', who are you to argue?

Let's start at the beginning. Dry martinis can be stirred, shaken or poured (also known as the diamond method, which affects the character of the drink and the way it appears in the glass. The diamond method makes the purest martini. Put a bottle of gin or vodka and glasses in the freezer for six hours. When the cocktail hour approaches, pour a dash of vermouth into the chilled glass, swill it around and then pour it away. Pour a slug of gin or vodka into the glass and there it is!

For the non-purists, we suggest you try the Tokyo, a scary mixture of gin, ginger and wasabi. Or for something quintessentially English, the elderflower, which is a vodka based martini with lime juice and orange bitters. There are even some ideas for after dinner drinks. The hazelnut is a clear chocolate martini based on vodka with crème de cacao and Frangelico, the hazelnut liqueur.

As with all cocktails, your bar needs to be well stocked but once you have undertaken that expense, you will have enormous fun creating a stir with these classic, fruity, spicy and decadent martinis. Martinis is set to become another best seller for Ben Reed.

Publication details:
64 pp. Photography by William Lingwood. £8.99
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
ISBN 1841723835
2003