Sloe Gin Martini

I've been trying over the last couple of evenings to get close to a good recipe for a martini using sloe gin. It doesn't seem so long ago that we were cycling down the river Cam to find the Blackthorn tree we know and picking enough sloes to steep in gin for Xmas presents and a bit left over for us too. It's just coming into its own now and is a nice cheery drink for February - this cocktail would also make a nice treat for Valentine's Day if you have the relevant ingredients and your budget doesn't run to a bottle of, say, Billecart-Salmon rose champagne. It's certainly quite pink.

The amount of vermouth used will always be variable according to your taste. I tried it with 1/4 of a measure last night, but that was a bit much for me. And I use a very strong-flavoured and dry vermouth, the exemplary Dolin from Chambéry. If in doubt, use a smaller amount, taste it and adjust your next attempt upwards or downwards accordingly.

The recipe's really simple, just like a classic martini with one extra ingredient, so:

1/2 measure dry gin (I find Plymouth Gin's great for cocktails)
1/2 measure sloe gin
1/6 measure dry French vermouth

shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a cocktail glass, or a wine glass if you're lazy like me (see picture!). Enjoy!