The Minty Gin Martini

Jay Hang, Martini Bar

JH: We specialize in martinis as we’re the Martini Bar. But the basic dry martini is not so popular any more. Our bestselling drink is the Dolce & Gabbana martini , which is a strawberry martini. The one I’m making today is for people who want something a bit special. It’s got a sweet and sour taste. We use fresh lemon with eight to 10 mint leaves, 60ml of Bombay Sapphire, 15ml of crème de menthe, the same of triple sec and a dash of lime cordial, plus two packets of sugar.

TW: You’re using a really good crème de menthe called Boudier. How are you using the fresh mint?

JH: I muddled the mint with the lemon juice and the sugar and a little bit of lime cordial. And then I added the gin, crème de menthe and triple sec and gave it a strong shake over ice cubes, then garnished with fresh mint and a maraschino cherry in the bottom of the glass.

TW: This is very nice. The base is there. But maybe he used too much of the sweet elements. However it looks great because of the contrasting colors of green liquid to red cherry in the bottom of the glass. The concept is great, but I’d have dropped a little of the sweetness.

CY: I agree.

SZ: It’s a little too sw eet for me, but I like the basic idea and I think it looks great. You can hardly taste the alcohol here, which is right for some people, but not right for me. Maybe we have numbed palates because we drink for a living.

Ingredients: Eight to 10 mint leaves; 60ml Bombay Sapphire; 15ml Cointreau; 15ml Boudier crème de menthe; two packets of sugar and a dash of lime cordial. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and mint leaves.

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