HORSERADISH MARTINI

Give this quintessential cocktail-hour drink a hot and peppery twist with the addition of fresh horseradish. The savoury kick makes it the perfect match for oysters, or you can even serve it with an old-school roast beef dinner.

2 1/2 oz Horseradish-Infused Gin

(recipe follows), see TIP

1/4 to 1/2 oz dry vermouth

Long strip lemon peel

Olive, caper berry or pickled pearl onion for garnish (optional)

1 Pour gin and vermouth into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled, approximately 50 swirls or 45 seconds. Strain through a julep strainer into a chilled Martini or coupe glass. Pull lemon peel over glass, releasing oils into cocktail. Gently pinch, peel side out, misting oils over surface of drink. Rub peel around outside rim of glass, then add to glass. Garnish with olive or caper berry, if you like, or go for a Gibson-style cocktail by garnishing with pickled pearl onion.

Makes 1 cocktail

TIP

No time to infuse? Use the same recipe with regular gin and garnish with a ribbon of fresh horseradish pulled using a vegetable peeler.