How to: Make a Martini

(2 ways):

Dirty Martini

Whether you need a crisp, dry drink as a relief from festive sweetness or you want to put on your best suit and pretend to be a super-spy, this is the perfect drink for the season.

Ingredients:

50ml Dry Gin (London Dry recommended but any dry kind works)

25ml Dry White Vermouth

1 olive and some of the olive brine

Method:

1. Get your chosen glass and make sure it's ideally chilled, but at the very least room temperature. Chill your Vermouth for as long as you can.

2. Add the vermouth to the glass (be careful if it's a traditional martini glass as they are easy to knock over).

3. Add your gin, the general recommended ratio for a classic dirty martini is for every measure of vermouth, add double that amount of gin.

4. Add in one teaspoon of the olive brine and the olive (it is crucial to be exact as too much brine overpowers the drink).

5. Serve alongside your favourite salty snacks (plain crisps or truffle popcorn work well here) and enjoy!

Mango and Ginger Martini

Want something with a bit of sparkle for the festive season? This cocktail is perfect for you. Also, it can be easily adapted for non-drinkers as you can just make a mango juice and ginger syrup version!

Ingredients:

25ml Dry Gin

25ml Ginger liqueur (try to get a less sweet one if you can)

40ml Mango juice

25ml Dry White VermouthMethod:

1. Get your chosen glass, this would suit a traditional martini glass or a tumbler.

2. Add the vermouth to the glass (in this recipe, you add equal amounts of each spirit)/

3. Add your ginger liqueur (this order allows it to mix better with the gin and the vermouth).

4. Add your dry gin (whilst this is a sweet cocktail, we still recommend dry gin to avoid over-sweetening the drink).

5. Once the drink is mixed, serve it with your favourite spicy snacks and enjoy!