Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week:

Happy long weekend Friday! As of posting time, I’ll have been off since Tuesday, and I’ll be away in the Berkshires with the family for fireworks and a concert this weekend. Aside from the surface of the sun temperatures going on, the mini vacation has been great. Before I left, I finally made a martini variant ive had on my bucket list: The Anchovy Martini. It seems interesting so I figured why not? Plus, I can use some anchovies for dinner as well.

Spoiler alert, I did.

Anyway here is the recipe:

2 oz. Gin (the book suggestions monkey 47, I used Gordon’s

1 oz. Dry vermouth 

Anchovy for garnish

In a mixing glass full of ice add the gin and vermouth. Stir until chilled and then garnish with a rolled up anchovy 

No real aroma, maybe some salt? I see some oil from th anchovy floating on top

The flavor is subtle, but it’s just different from a normal martini. It’s not salty or oily, but it definitely different. A slight umami going on I think. Either way, I like what it brings to the table.

It finishes kind of the same way. Uniform flavor all the way through, with that nice depth coming through. No lingering brine or fish flavor either which is a nice surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect but that thought was in the back of my mind. I think I would up the gin to vermouth ratio though. I like mine a bit stronger and the 2-1 is good, but my preference to 3-1 I think would still work here.

You can eat the garnish. I did. That’s where the salt ant brine flavor stayed. Next time I might muddle one and then garnish with one to see how that works with the flavors of the drink. I think a little more brine would be nice.

It’s a great pre dinner drink, or with dinner if you use the anchovies in dinner, like I am tonight.  I’ll definitely be making this again, if only as an excuse to use more anchovy in my cooking

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)