Many moons ago, we were asked by the organiser of a forthcoming hen party to include the French Martini on the menu. I’d heard of it but never made one, so I decided to try it. I wasn’t convinced by the combination of ingredients : vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice. The vodka’s fine of course but the raspberry and pineapple together? Not sure. I tried it and unfortunately it was disappointing. We included it on the menu of course and it was popular. So for a while the French Martini languished as a cocktail I’d tried but wouldn’t choose. Then things changed.
Enter Laphroaig
One day while browsing through a magazine from our drinks supplier, a promotional advert for Laphroaig caught my eye. If you’re not familiar with Laphroaig, it is a malt whisky from Scotland. A fine drink too but it is from Islay which means that it is peaty – very peaty. The type of drink which puts people off whisky who aren’t seasoned whisky lovers. I like it but I’d never offer it to guests at home unless they like smoky Islay whiskies.
The recipe suggested adding it to a French Martini in place of vodka. I get it, Laphroaig is never going to appear in many cocktails because of it’s powerful, domineering flavour. So they’re looking to find cocktail uses for it and hence a younger audience. In a French Martini? A very leftfield idea I thought. But then I thought I could go one better. The English distillers Chase produce a smoked vodka. It’s subtle but I’m a fan of their products and I don’t have many uses for my smoked vodka. This would fit the bill I thought.
Smoky French Martini
It is an excellent cocktail and IMHO, better than the original non-smoky version. Add ice to your shaker. Generally I’d use a couple of good-sized cubes, never crushed ice in your shaker. Then add the following
- 35 ml Chase smoked vodka
- 35 ml Chambord black raspberry liqueur
- 75 ml pineapple juice
- 10 ml concentrated lemon juice (double if you’re using fresh fruit)
The lemon juice is also a key part of this cocktail. It gives a bit of balance to the finished drink and takes the edge off the sweetness. This is now a classic cocktail – albeit with a twist.