I have thus far avoided including alcoholic beverages to the Povertystew opus given that booze is expensive and this is a budget cookbook. But summer’s a comin and the thought of all that inner warming from a good glass of Gallo Burgundy seems less and less desirable. What’s good about wine (and beer) is that there isn’t much alcohol in it. Spirits are another matter. Vodka, Gin and the Whiskeys can be up to 40% alcohol by volume. I think the way to equalize that, and save a little money, is to miniaturize spirit drinks using tablespoon and teaspoon measures rather than shots and ounces.
Our mini martini does just that. It is a make-ahead recipe that requires a little bit of pre-planning.
The first thing you must do is make mini ice cubes. You can do this in your regular ice cube trays by filling them to only about 1/8 of the craters. You’ll need small green Spanish olives, the kind they serve at those God-awful salad bars and traditional bottom-heavy shot glasses – not the weird long fluted ones.
These are great drinks for hot, sunny, Sunday afternoons outside on the porch, rooftop, or wherever you can go to get out under that blue sky.
If you don’t care for Martinis, try miniaturizing your favorite cocktail instead.
Need This
4 heavy-bottom shot glasses
12 small Spanish olives
Vodka or Gin (New Amsterdam brand is very good for the price point)
Dry white Vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
Mini ice cubes
Do This
Using a baker’s measuring spoon, put exactly one tablespoon of Vodka or Gin into each of the shot glasses.
Next, measure in 1/4 of a teaspoon of dry vermouth in each shot glass.
Now place 3 Spanish olives in each glass, one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit.
Drop a mini ice cube into each and stir until the ice cube is fully melted.
Set the shot glasses on a level surface in your freezer and freeze for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. Don’t worry, it won’t actually freeze.
Serve ice cold right out the freezer – perhaps with a small hors d’oeuvre or cut fruit.*
*Even though these little delights are served in shot glasses they are still meant to be sipped slowly, not upended like some college student trying to impress his/her way into the Alpha Beta Dumbass Society. GMN
