The Blue Martini
This Friday, try a colorful cocktail, the Blue Martini!
I first heard of this cocktail around 1998—give or take a year—when it was mentioned on the late daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. If memory serves correctly, it was a then “new and trendy” drink that was gin-based and had just two ingredients, gin and blue curaçao. At the time, I was in my experimental period, trying new-to-me cocktails, and so I ordered this new drink when I next ventured out to dine.
More recently, there’s now a similiar drink called a Sapphire Martini. This version retains the vermouth of an original, classic martini and may or may not call for a splash of lemon juice. According to Woman’s World magazine (9/24/12), there’s currently a $3,000 Sapphire Martini being served up at the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut! It won’t cost nearly that much to make it at home.
What you’ll need: Gin and Blue Curaçao
In a shaker over cracked ice pour in 2 ounces of gin and 1 ounce of blue curaçao. Shake and then strain into your chilled cocktail glass. Optionally, garnish with a twist of lemon.
To make the Sapphire Martini: You’ll need Dry Vermouth in addition to the Blue Martini’s ingredients. Pour 2 ounces of gin and 1/2 ounce each of blue curaçao and dry vermouth in a shaker over cracked ice. Shake and then strain into your chilled cocktail glass.
For a fancier presentation, coat the rim of your cocktail glass with lemon juice and coat it with blue sugar. Alternatively, with either the Blue or Sapphire versions, add a splash of lemon juice if you like.
How I like it: Bombay Sapphire Gin is the recommended choice for the Sapphire Martini, and it’s the brand of gin I use most often in any event. I tend to forego the use of lemon juice though, unless I intend to rim the glass with blue sugar.
Be merry and not blue, drink responsibly!
The Poisoned Martini 