Make Mine a Martini. Kay Plunkett-Hogge

      Introduction

      Let me begin by saying this: I’m not a bartender, but I’ve known a few. And I don’t own a bar, but I’ve been to my fair share. I’ve stolen the keys to the Formosa, danced at the Bamboo Bar, frolicked at The Frolic Room, fallen backwards off my stool at Odeon, and behaved with perfect English rectitude while supping Claridge’s finest Martini. So I like to think I’ve picked up a thing or two about drinks and snacks, not all of it by osmosis.

      And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the cocktail isn’t just for when you’re ‘out’. There’s nothing better at the end of the week than a crisp Martini to round things off. It’s better still with a couple of snacks. And, even better than that, in the company of friends.

      From my earliest days, I’ve always loved a cocktail party. They were a constant feature of my Bangkok childhood. I remember clambering on to my chest of drawers when I was small, and peering out though the shutters to see what all the chattering and laughter was about. There was my mum, looking glamorous in a slinky silk dress; there was Dad, looking smooth in shirtsleeves and skinny trousers; and there were the couples twisting on the terracotta-tiled terrace, everyone sipping cocktails and spearing snacks with sticks. It was convivial, content and oh, so relaxed. And it’s left me with a hankering for those happy days and nights.

      So, in this book, I’ve gathered together some classic cocktails with a few of my own inventions, and added a selection of canapés which are easy to make at home and a few tips to make a cocktail party that little bit easier. After all, just the sound of ice being shaken, preferably to a rhythm all of its own, is enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face. It’s the promise of sweet relief, of good times, good friends and good conversation. Just make mine a Martini.

      Before we begin

      A good party can be rigorously planned or entirely impromptu — it all depends on the occasion. But here are a few key things to get us started.

      Home Bar Basics

      Setting up a bar at home needn’t be an expensive undertaking. At the very least, you only really need something to mix in and a glass for your drink (I’ve used a clean coffee pot to stir a Martini before now – it’s not glamorous, but it works). But there are a few things that will make your life easier.

      1 A good shaker

      This is really a matter of preference. You want something that fits comfortably in your hand when you shake it, and which has a tight fit when it’s closed (there’s nothing worse than scrubbing Daiquiris off the ceiling, let me tell you). Some people favour the Boston Shaker, with its metal base and slightly smaller glass mixing top. I prefer a compact all-metal shaker, known as a Cobbler Shaker, which has a built-in strainer. Mine makes 2–3 cocktails at a time and fits nicely into my rather small hands.

      The French Shaker lacks the Cobbler’s strainer and, again, is an all-metal affair. I think the metal matters. Although I have a couple of beautiful glass shakers, I keep them purely for decoration (along with my 1930s bear-shaped Cobbler Shaker, which is entirely impractical, but which makes me laugh). The conductivity of metal chills the drink quicker and with less dilution.

      2 A strainer

      This is vital if you lack a Cobbler Shaker, because you generally want to strain a drink into a glass. They come in fairly standard sizes to fit easily over the mouths of most shakers. Often, you’ll find them in a set with a cocktail shaker and a jigger. Just make sure, when you buy one, that it’s well made: the cheap ones can be a bit loose where the handle meets the circle of the strainer, and they have a tendency to nip your skin.

      3 A bar spoon

      A bar spoon is a very long teaspoon – as a measure, they’re identical – with a fat, flattened end which you can use to crush things like sugar cubes. In a bar, they’re very handy. Do you need one at home? Probably not. But you do need…

      4 A muddler

      …an elongated wooden pestle for crushing the oils out of leaves, breaking sugar into bitters and so on. When it comes to muddling leaves, wood is always better than metal – it’s gentler and less bruising, preserving the leaf’s integrity while extracting the flavours you require for the drink. In an emergency, the

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