Strawberry Martini

It's strawberry season and I feel obligated to use nature's bounty in everything I possibly can while they are ripe and lovely and delicious.

This, of course, goes for cocktails too. Fruity, boozy drinks are the hallmark of summer. Okay, it's almost summer. Let's get drinking those strawberries!

Strawberry Martini
from Jamie at Home for IHCC June Potluck

Ingredients

• a splash of dry vermouth
• 2 handfuls of sweet ripe strawberries, preferably wild ones, hulled
• a sprig of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 2 handfuls of ice cubes
• 150ml gin or vodka

Method

Things like strawberry and lychee martinis are delicious but they can also be quite dangerous because you might not realize how much you’re drinking, so beware. But enjoy! -JO

Chill two martini glasses and your cocktail shaker in the freezer for half an hour until really really cold.

Put a few drops of dry vermouth into each glass and swirl it around. Put 3 strawberries into the bottom of each glass – if they’re big ones, cut them into pieces first.

Throw the remaining strawberries and the mint into the cold cocktail shaker and squash them with the end of a rolling pin. Add the ice cubes and the gin or vodka, put the top on and shake it about. Strain into your two martini glasses.

Or, if you are lazy like me - toss the berries and cubes and vodka (or gin) in the blender. Garnish with lemon balm as it is too dark out for you to be able to tell which is which in the garden while being dive-bombed by mosquitoes. Grab what you can and make a run for it!