1/2 jigger Dolin dry white Vermouth (green bottle)
1 jigger warm water
Cover. Shake vigorously until your arm hurts. Sift and pour in glass. Garnish with 1-3 green olives stuffed with garlic. If you want to go dirty, add 1/2 jigger of olive water.
I've been saving the brine from pickled jalapenos and trying to work it into something to drink, mostly have been using it for foods (so good when slow cooking pork, great in tomato sauce) but maybe simple vodka martini is the answer.
(1) Grow currants (black and red). This might take a few years if you're starting a new bush. My bushes are four years old. My red produced about 10L this year, while my black only did about 2L.
(2) One part red currants, two parts black, three parts vodka.
(3) Use potato masher to mash 'em all in a bowl and refrigerate for 7-10 days.
(4) Strain through coffee filter.
(5) Optional: add equal parts simple syrup to get something resembling Syrop de Cassis. Or leave as is if you like sour.
(6) Use straight or in other cocktails.
Shelf life is effectively infinite, but best used within a year.
Tangent: did you know currant cultivation was illegal in the US federally for almost a century? In Canada and Europe and North Asia they are a common backyard fruit.
Having a Sunday afternoon sipper of 1/3 pineapple chile Moscato, 1/3 homemade ginger beer, 1/3 homemade tepache. Everything straight from the fridge and I may put an ice cube in it too. Not too sweet, not boozy, spicy and pineapple.
I made a couple Ford's for myself over the weekend.
1.5 Ounces Gin
1 Ounce Dry Vermouth
0.5 Ounce Benedictine
Few dashes orange bitters
Measurements are loose estimates.
Garnish with a bit of lemon peel.
I really like these. They're a little more herbaceous and slightly sweeter compared to a classic martini.