martini » The Red Shaker

You Put The Lime In The Watermelon?

May 132011

Watermelon season is in full swing and Shaker One has discovered baby seedless watermelons. Like a personal pan pizza of melon…..sweet and ultra juicy, these babies beg to be made into a cocktail.

Rooting around in the fridge and freezer one 90 degree evening I discovered some Trader Joe’s lime ice pops abandoned in the door. <lighbulb moment>

Watermelon Lime Martini:

2 shots mostly melted lime pop

2 shots vodka of choice (I used Titos)

2 shots strained fresh watermelon juice

splash of fresh lime juice

Shake with ice, strain and slurp up faster than you can believe. Wow and yum!

If you don’t have any sad abandoned lime ice pops in your freezer, simply substitute Rose’s lime juice (and up the fresh lime juice to equal the Rose’s to counteract the sweetness).

So Long, Shaker! Shake

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May 062011

One of the most interesting thing in life is how it changes both in small ways and on the larger scale. The latter is the scale of Shaker Two’s big change, which is a move to another state. Now, not to fear, this blog will still be going and plans are in place and being formulated on the most fun way to keep bringing you all the crazy martini recipes and fun we have been writing about since 2009.

So, in light of Shaker Two’s imminent departure, we put together a So Long, Shaker! Shake

Shaker Two Says A Sip For The Hostesses~John joins us via skype

A few of our friends joined in both locally and via Skype and we revisited some of the favorites from the blog this far and, wow, they were just as tasty this time as they were when we first made them pair that with some of our favorite recipes and it was a night of fun, food and – of course – martinis.

First off is the Spicy Lemon Drop.

We first wrote about this in July 2010 and included it in part of our Founding Fathers 4th of July Shaker Night. This was a summer favorite with a lovely kick to a somewhat traditional lemon drop.

This was a hit with the guests and there might have been more than one consumed by a few.

As drinks were flowing, the table was set with a veritable buffet of tasty bites ranging from smoky cheezee poofs (gougeres), vichyssoise, red pepper puff pastry rolls, grilled vegetable wraps, an assortment of cheeses and fried chicken from KyoChon.

: Shaker Two Says A Sip For The Hostesses~

: John joins us via skype

Next up is the Citrus Bliss.

Shaker One spent lots-o-time juicing citrus for these bad boys and is it worth it. The fresh citrus takes this drink from good to *SLURP*.

Third on deck is the Balsamic Martini created by Jacopo Falleni.

This one has some really amazing flavors going here and it was well worth revisiting it.

To round out the evening and to somewhat taper the spice from the KyoChon chicken (YUM!!! Thanks, Simon and Bill!) we ended with a Shaker Two favorite – the Parisian. In honor of Shaker One’s quickly approaching firtst trip to Paris, we thought this beautiful drink would be a nice addition.

All in all, this was a lovely night of friends, memories and cocktails.

Tea-nis for Two~

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Apr 292011

As time grows near for Shaker Two to leave Planet LA, we’re revisiting a few of our favorite martinis. Both of us have been craving this one in particular.

The Earl Grey MarTeani:

Earl Grey infused vodka Earl Grey infusion

You’ve seen it here more than once…….a lovely blend of tea infused vodka, lemon, simple syrup, and an egg white for that soft foamy layer on top. All at once soothing and relaxing. Shaker Two wonders if she should consider replacing her English Breakfast Tea with one of these each morning? I say yes, depending on what your day brings.

If you haven’t tried this drink yet, please do so without delay. A five olive masterpiece.

(and for those of you who don’t care to click through the link, quick recipe below:

In a Boston style shaker with ice add: 1 1/2 ozs. Earl Gray Vodka infusion

3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 oz simple syrup

one egg white

Shake vigorously, strain into glass, garnish with a lemon zest or slice. Double for larger martini glass. Now, go click the link for infusion details!)

No scones necessary.

Heads Up!

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Apr 242011

Shaker One here. I enjoy a good flip. And by flip I am referring to a cocktail shaken with an egg white to create a foamy “head” on top. In addition to the head, you also get a sort of velvety mouth feel to the drink itself. I find it lovely.

But there are many who have an aversion to the idea of using raw eggs in any form. For this there are foaming products which are supposed to create the same result without the accompanying danger of salmonella. I’ve long been curious about their efficacy and on my last trip to The Candy Store (Beverage Warehouse) I picked up a bottle to try.

My liquid guinea pig? The Spicy Lemon Drop. Feeling a bit scientific, I threw a few dashes of our new friend Frothee into the shaker with the ice and ingredients as instructed. <shakeshakeshake>

It poured out into the glass with a somewhat more subdued head than I get with an egg white, but still noticeable. And as I raised the glass to my lips I noticed a subtle smell. Not quite plastic, not quite chemical, but also not quite pleasant. Hmmmm, maybe it just has a bit of an odor. I forged ahead.

Gahhhh~there was that oddness in the taste as well! I got about 1/3 of the way through, trying to tell myself that I’d get used to it. It isn’t overpowering, but because I could smell it as well as taste it with each sip, I found it mildly repugnant. My poor lovely Spicy Lemon Drop, sacrificed down the drain in the name of science. (a moment of silence in deference to his service please)

Conclusion: Frothee-darken my shaker no more. I’d sooner risk raw egg ramifications. If you’re pregnant or immune compromised I would not recommend a flip. But then if you fall under those categories perhaps you shouldn’t be having a cocktail to begin with. I’ll stick to my egg whites to get a good foam.

And now I’m off to wash the taste of Frothee from my lips. Gahhh.

The Shaker Dilemma

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Oct 022010

Shaker Two here. I am about to share with you a little known fact; until recently I did not own a shaker. I know, I know… how is that possible? Well, until we started this blog, I rarely drank martinis at home, opting rather for wine or (most of the time) non-alcoholic options. Upon starting our little endeavor, I realized that this had to change. It was time to put on my bartending pants and shaker up.

Then I realized that it was not as simple as going out to just buy any old shaker. I mean, after all these years without one, this was special. It had to be perfect. Did I want a small one? An insulated one? Boston? Traditional? So. Many. Choices!

Let the research begin.

I have always dug Boston shakers, they froth it up and you get a lot of extra room for all the ice and liquid to move around but require a hawthorne strainer or a quick strain tin for pouring the drink. The Boston shaker’s thick mixing glass is also conducive to muddling and stirring. A traditional shaker has the strainer built into the lid.

So upon further investigation, there are Boston Shakers that are more expensive and then those that are less so. Same with the traditional models. What is the difference? Don’t they all produce the same end result? Yes and no.

In the case of the Boston shakers, usually the higher quality ones have a thicker tin which helps prevent it from getting as cold on the outside (freezing hands is not always fun whilst mixing drinks.) They are also fit together better for a tighter seal. Sure, you can get tins with no-slip grips, but that can only take you so far when your beverage leaks all over you while mixing.

In the traditional shaker styles, the key with these is not only the seal between the lid and the tin, but also the strainer part. Are the holes small enough to effectively strain out ice cubes but not clog easily when there are muddled berries in the drink. Is there a lip around the strainer to prevent spills when you take the cap off? And finally, and I speak from experience here, does the tin contract so much that you can’t get the strainer lid off?

Then you move into other features like measurements printed on the side, twisting outer tins with drink recipes on them, shapes that make it more of an art piece, or those that add a touch of whimsy to your bar area.

So after looking at a LOT of different options, what was my consensus? Easy.. I waited for my birthday and let Shaker One pick one out for me 😀

Ok, so I took the easy way out. I admit it. Had the timing (read: my procrastination) not been right around my birthday, I would probably still be shaker-less.. I seem to have commitment issues.

Shaker One opted for the traditional style with insulated walls, roomy for generous pours, easy to remove cap and a nice lip around the strainer.. all in all a fabulous addition to the Patio Bar.

The Spice Market-Saffron Dreams

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Aug 112010

The summer of infusions continues with a trip to exotic locales…….in our martini glasses at least. Searching through my pantry the other day resulted in the discovery of not one, but three, containers of saffron. My first question was how on earth did I end up with three containers of saffron? My second question- what to do with all that golden glory. As someone who has no interest in either cooking or eating paella, I was stumped. A lovely risotto will take care of some of it, but I had somehow acquired the motherload and hated the thought of it going to waste. So how does Shaker One dispose of most things in her kitchen?

Why, they become martinis! I did a bit of googling and came up with a long list of martinis using saffron infused vodka and gin. Wow, I had no idea it even existed! I infused some vodka and brought it down to test drive with Shaker Two.

First we tried a Classic Saffron Martini

The saffron vodka has a gorgeous almost glowing color and the smell is really unusual. A few shakes later and into the glass it goes……..

Well, Shaker Two doesn’t hate saffron vodka as much as she does Campari, but it is close! This was aggressively unpleasant. Scary even. No olives.

Undaunted, we plowed ahead with The Saffron Ginger Martini

Um, better but still not really something we would choose to drink. Being generous- 2 1/2 olives.

Shaker One has not given up on saffron martinis……..I shall need to search out some better recipes and get back to you. Now where is that rissotto recipe?

Infusion Profusion

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Aug 042010

This summer Shaker One has been experimenting with vodka infusions at home. Every summer I make a ginger infused vodka for my ginger lemonade martinis, but this year I decided to branch out and try other ingredients. I started with some familiar friends from my kitchen:

-cinnamon, blueberries, roasted cherries, pineapple and of course ginger.

But I wanted to try something different. Our experiments with both the chai tea and Earl Grey tea infused vodkas were such a success, I looked towards other flavors like spices. Right now I have pink peppercorns marinating, and saffron……..I have plans to go get some cardamon as well. A trip to Penzys should keep me very busy for the rest of the summer.

Of course this means I shall have to find/create recipes to showcase all these fine new friends. But I think I am up to the challenge.

Just a note on infusions: Some ingredients, like fruits, can infuse just about indefinitely without over-flavoring the vodka. however, beware of leaving things like cinnamon in for too long. A few weeks and you have the perfect cinnamon vodka…..any longer and it becomes overpowering. Tea infusions only need to steep a few hours….any more than that and you get a marked bitterness. I recommend that you gently shake the infusion every few days and taste about once a week. Once you reach the desired level of flavor go ahead and remove the solids. Even better, strain the liquid through coffee filters to remove any cloudiness. You can now keep the resulting infused vodka indefinitely. Which generally equates to a few weeks at the Balcony Bar.

Now go infuse something!

An Apple (martini) a day.

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Jul 282010

Shaker Two here.

One of the things I have discovered about myself as I add more years to my age and add more drinks to my “been there and tried that” roster is that I am somewhat jaded when I head out to eat. More often then not, I will stick with wine or a dirty martini – sometimes a Parisian if the bar has the holy trinity of ingredients – and not venture too far out of that realm. Shocking since I am one of the two Shakers who extol the virtues and wonders of martinis? Perhaps. Though over the years, I have discovered that many of the martinis in restaurants fall into a few main categories: boring, classic, overly sweet, dessert and way over the top.

I steer clear of massively fruity blends since they tend to leave the palate feeling like you just painted it with fruit puree. I also usually stay clear of apple martinis since many bars do not use apple infused vodka, but rather rely on the artificial tasting flavored vodkas or the Jolly Rancher exuding Pucker for the “apple.”

Close minded? You bet. Especially when many martinis in the El Lay area can run $12-$15 a pop. While I am not hesitant to send back a foul drink, I just find I haven’t the patience to go through the hassle.

There is a reason for the tangent I just went on, I swear.

So, that all being said, I was having a birthday dinner with some dear friends at a scrumptious Polish restaurant in Santa Monica called Warsawa. As we perused the menu, I noticed tray after tray of martinis going by and they looked all to be the same. Interesting. They were also all going to different tables. Even more interesting.

I asked our server what it was and he said it was their apple martini. Hrm.

He then went on to recommend it and mentioned it was made with Zubrowka, a bison grass vodka from Poland. This piqued my interest since my brother had just recommended the same vodka out of the blue (he is not normally a vodka drinker.)

Ok, I’ll bite. “How about a round of apple martinis?” our server smiled knowingly and went off to place the order.

Bison Grass vodka. Interesting. I had my fingers crossed it did not taste like one of those “freshly mowed lawn” wheat grass shots.

The drinks arrived and I took my first sip. YUM! It was subtle, slightly sweet with some deeper notes of some other flavors that were hard to pin down. Our waiter let us in on the ingredients: bison grass vodka, sparkling apple cider and a bit of lemon juice, garnished with an apple slice.

Needless to say, we consumed a few rounds of this lovely concoction and I was sold.

Later, I took the bottle up to the Balcony Bar and let Shaker Two have a taste, this time chilled and straight up. It is lovely even standing along. Smooth with subtle hints of a few different flavors, but nothing cloying and certainly no freshly cut lawn elements. It is also the most popular flavored vodka in Poland

I recommend checking this stuff out if you can find it. Decent price point and a tasty beverage with or without the sparkling apple cider.

Tinis Al Fresco!

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Jul 232010

The (belated) arrival of true summer weather is met with varying degrees of enthusiasm from the two Shakers. One thing we can agree on is that dinner tastes better outdoors. Last night Shaker Two put together a lovely spread to officially open the Patio Bar for the season.

We dined on grilled rib eye steaks in a coffee rub (Shaker One was in heaven over this rub), herbed potatoes, grilled corn on the cob and a fabulous salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, mango and a poppy seed dressing…..yum.

We finished up our relaxing meal with a sabayon meyer lemon tart with fresh strawberries from Shaker One.

hope you all enjoy your weekend……oh, what?? You want to know if we had drinks? Why yes, as a matter of fact we did! how did you guess?

Shaker One as been gorging on fresh strawberries this season, so when I came across a couple of martini recipes involving strawberries and balsamic vinegar how could I resist??

First up was the Balsamic Vinegar Martini:

Simple and very pretty, but basically a vodka martini up with a lovely garnish. As written 2 1/2 olives.

The Shakers decided to muddle this up with some extra balsamic and it was tasty! 3 1/2 olives muddled.

Next is the Balsamic Martini by Jacopo Falleni:

4 1/2 olives. This is a must try.

I must admit this sounded like a rather odd combination to me, but I was curious enough to mix it up. Shaker Two and I each took a sip and our eyes grew big and round. Mr. Falleni- you are a genius. This is beyond delicious. The vanilla and lime (I used vanilla vodka instead of the vanilla rum he recommends) marry perfectly with the strawberries and balsamic and the balsamic glaze adds the perfect touch. This is a fabulous martini, really creative and well worth the bit of effort in assembling/muddling. Oh, we skipped making the cute sword garnish from the rind of a spaghetti squash like he did.

The Shakers are off to discover more recipes that embrace the flavors of the season……check back soon for more summer mixing and muddling~

An Unharried Host(ess)

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Jul 212010

So you’re having a party and want to serve a signature cocktail, but you can’t bear the idea of being locked at the bar all night mixing and pouring. What to do……Hire a bartender? Why yes, that’s a fantastic idea (especially if he’s hot and wearing a bow tie), but perhaps not so practical in these budget conscious times. The more clever and frugal alternative?

Why, make your ‘tini base up ahead of time! Simply select a signature drink (or two), and pre-mix all the alcohol and juice ingredients in large pitchers the night before. At party time, pop them out of the fridge, pour them over ice in a shaker, give them a quick shake and strain and into the glasses they go. Of course, be sure to save any carbonated ingredients to add at the last minute. Does this take a bit more time than pouring glasses of wine? Certainly. But a signature drink can really make your party special.

What about the hostesses who aren’t such a whiz at math? *Shaker One raises her hand here*

I actually sit down with a pencil and paper and convert the ounces in each ingredient to cup measurements on my pyrex measuring cup. First, pick a drink recipe. Next, multiply each ingredients’ ounce volume by the number of martini servings you want to have available for your guests. Convert the total ounces of each ingredient to the corresponding cup volume (my measuring cups have them all printed on the sides). I suggest you do a taste test and make any adjustments necessary……..it might need a little extra lemon juice or simple syrup for example. And I wouldn’t make them up too far ahead of time-the day before at the earliest. You don’t want your ingredients to taste stale or flat from sitting.

As for glassware- I do not recommend those plastic martini glasses you see at party supply stores. They are flimsy and cheap and tend to tip over from the weight of the liquid. You can purchase simple glass martini glasses cheaply at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond type places. A restaurant supply even has heavy duty acrylic martini glasses which would be perfect for an outdoor or poolside party. If you don’t want to invest in reusable glassware, go for basic clear plastic disposable cups. And don’t forget to garnish (make these up ahead of time,too).

With just a little planning and preparation, you can be a relaxed host(ess) while still making your guests feel special. Now go send those evites!

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