I don’t know about you, but many of my close friends are still finding January difficult to deal with this year, despite the fact that the snow has gone and that Blue Monday is technically behind us.
Things are meant to be looking up, yet far too many of us are getting stuck in the depressing “mean reds” as a friend calls them, unable to get ourselves excited about the fact that Spring is supposedly just around the corner.
So, what should we do when times are hard and life is being too much? Well, my idea is to have a girly night, with your pick of films and some well thought through cocktails. It’s an old favourite, but it works, and as such we should never underestimate its recuperative power!
The cocktail I have used best is a nasal hair scorching martini, the recipe for which I begged from a bar in Newcastle in order to cheer up one of my closest friends.
Without further ado (as I wouldn’t want to try and hold you bunch back from a refreshing new recipe…), here is how to make a Violet martini, which tastes just like parma violets! I’m not so good with making it the perfect size for serving, so you may end up with more than one glass. But hey ho, eh?!
Be warned: This is Lethal!
Ingredients
Raspberry vodka (I used Stoli)
Vanilla vodka (Stoli again!)
Good quality plain vodka
Violet Liqueur
Violet syrup
Both violet liqueur and syrup are available from online retailers such as The DrinkShop.com, but you will probably have trouble getting them in your local supermarket. This just makes this cocktail all the more special!
Directions
Pour one shot Raspberry vodka, one shot vanilla vodka and half a shot plain vodka into a cocktail shaker, along with a glug of violet syrup and a shot of violet liqueur. If you want, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Shake the mixture hard in a cocktail shaker full of ice – you want it to become ice cold with a tiny bit of melted water. This may be trial and error, so have a go a few times and find out how long you like it shaken for!
Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with violet petals (optional!). Drink immediately, preferably whilst munching on rose and violet creams!
Image via Wafterboard's Flickr