A Hungry Bear

If I take a week off from posting and pick back up on a Friday happy hour, will you think I need an intervention? A and I took a few days off for Miami (where we could drink “real” mojitos as early as 11am, not that we would ever do such a thing) and I’ve had so much going on with work I didn’t set up any posts for the week. By way of an apology, how about I share with you my favorite drink?

You won’t believe the difference it makes to stuff your own olives from scratch. My little brother, who also makes the world’s best martini, taught me how to do this. It really only takes about 3 extra minutes, and it makes a martini taste 10 times more indulgent.

Cast of characters: gin (or if you prefer, vodka, but don’t admit it to me), blue cheese crumbles, pimento stuffed olives in their brine.

Fill your martini glass with ice water to chill the glass. Then, start by plucking the pimentos out of a handful of olives with a toothpick.

Stab a little piece of blue cheese with a toothpick, and push it into the olive. You can also use your fingers if you need to push the cheese in a bit - it will go, I promise.

I’ll normally do about 6-8 at a time, enough to serve 3-4 martinis. They’ll keep in the fridge for at least a week, in an airtight container.

Fill your cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Add 2 jiggers of gin (yes, that’s 3 ounces - enough for a little refill!).

Add about 1/2 ounce of olive brine - to me this is the perfect ratio of brine to gin, not too salty. Everyone has a different opinion on this, so experiment. Just remember, it’s easier to add a splash of brine right into your martini glass if you need to, so start slow.

Place 2 stuffed olives on a toothpick, and set in the glass. Shake the gin and brine for a few seconds, and pour over. And I promise to post some food next!