MARTINI Recipes to Welcome 2021

We've all made the best of 2020 and look forward to a bright, happy 2021 for our friends and families. Staying in and toasting the New Year is definitely the best way to celebrate.

We have five unique martini recipes that are ideal for your celebrations and the months ahead. Each one will introduce you to new, exciting, and flavorful cocktails. We have included information about the fine spirits they use that include Partida Añejo Cristalino; Grace O'Malley Heather Infused Irish Gin; Broken Shed Vodka; Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin; and Darnley's View Spiced Gin. So forget the bubbles! Martinis are the ultimate way to celebrate and are easily customizable.

Partida Anejo Cristalino Martini

-Partida Añejo Cristalino 1.5-2 oz

-Sweet White Vermouth ¾ oz

-Lemon Juice ¼ oz

-Orange Bitters 2 dashes

Method: Shake all ingredients in a shaker and double strain over chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Partida Añejo Cristalino ($59.99), the newest tequila to join the Tequila Partida family in more than a decade. Available nationwide this month, Partida's Añejo Cristalino is a new expression from the acclaimed producer that's aged a minimum of 18-months before being naturally filtered through activated carbon, showcasing the complexity of both age and minerality. Cristalino is the fastest growing tequila category in Mexico, which has helped tequila become the largest spirit category in the country. It's exponential growth has led to the category's rise in the US, where it is starting to become more of a fixture in the cocktail scene within the bars and restaurants that are making to-go cocktails or are slowly starting to return to the process of hosting guests.

Grace Martini

-6 cl Grace O'Malley Heather Infused Irish Gin

-2 cl sweet white Vermouth (for example Lillet Blanc)

-Optional: 4 dashes of Olive Bitters (for example The Bitter Truth)

-1 tsp olive brine (from the olive jar)

Method: Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes and add the ingredients. Stir on ice, then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Add the olive. Tip: chill the glass in the freezer before serving. Decorate with one green olive.

The Grace O'Malley brand is dedicated to the legendary Irish pirate queen, Grainne Ní Mháille/Grace O'Malley, also known as Granuaile. Born into Irish nobility in Co Mayo in 1530, she was a charismatic and natural leader. Gifted as a negotiator, she was a fearless mariner throughout her life and her great rebellious life should never be forgotten. Grace O'Malley Irish Gin ($39.99) is made with 14 aromatic botanicals from the west of Ireland including heather, wild thyme, red clover, blackthorn, fraughan (bilberry) and rock samphire. A true, traditional-style gin made with modern distilling techniques to capture flavour intensity. Rounded and balanced with a fresh, floral finish.

Broken Martini

-3 oz Broken Shed Vodka

-Splash of Olive Brine

-Garnish: Three Olives on a toothpick

Method: Just add Broken Shed Vodka and a splash of olive brine to a shaker with ice. Shake, stir and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three olives on a toothpick.

Break free from the ordinary and treat yourself to the world's most unique vodka. Broken Shed Vodka ($29.99) is crafted from a blend of two of New Zealand's purest waters with natural protein whey that is distilled three times. It is free from gluten, free from GMOs, free from additives and added sugars. Tasting Broken Shed Vodka begins with notes of vanilla, followed by the natural sweetness from the minerals in the water with hints of butterscotch, ending with a subtle pepper taste to give you a smooth warm finish.

Gunpowder Martini

-Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin - 60ml

-Boissiere Dry Vermouth - 15ml

-2 dashes of grapefruit bitters

-1 bar spoon of gunpowder tea

Method: Add the Drumshanbo Gin, Boissiere Vermouth, bitters and gunpowder tea to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with Fresh Lemon zest.

The Shed Distillery is the first distillery in the West of Ireland in over 101 years. Opened in 2016 by the team of PJ Rigney and his wife Denise, The Shed Distillery marks a return to doing it the right way, combined with creativity and excitement. This is where the magic happens for Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin ($36.99). Named after where it is made (Drumshanbo) as well as the main ingredient (Gunpowder Tea), this Gin is truly an experience not to be missed. On the nose, bright citrus and Gunpowder tea are complimented with juniper and spicy notes coming to the fore. On the palate, delightfully fresh and rounded up front with citrus, juniper & spice immediately evident. The expected juniper follows close behind. Gunpowder Tea, meadowsweet & coriander are all notable.

Ginger Martini

-60ml Darnley's View Spiced Gin

-1 knob ginger

-15ml sugar syrup

Method: Muddle ginger in the bottom of the shaker. Add remaining ingredients and fill with cubed ice. Shake rapidly and double strain into glass. Garnish: Slither of ginger

Darnley's View Gin is a product of a family recipe and captures the moment in 1565 when Mary Queen of Scots spied her future husband, Lord Darnley, through the courtyard window at Wemyss Castle. From this marriage came a prince who later united the thrones of England and Scotland as James VI and Ist. The principal botanicals in our recipe are juniper, cinnamon and nutmeg. We want to create a completely authentic gin in gins historic home; one which would appeal to those who appreciate the history and provenance of this iconic white spirit. Darnley's View Spiced Gin ($36.99) is made with a selection of carefully selected berries, seeds, peels and roots collectively known as botanicals. Full and rounded, cinnamon and nutmeg coming through strongly, with juniper developing gently.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Producers

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