LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2025

Martini Master Class from page 107

2. Combine purified water with olive brine and stir well. Pour liquid into each chamber of tray, nearly to the top. (Frozen liquid will expand slightly.) Freeze until frozen through, several hours or overnight. 3. Run tray under cool water to unmould ice. Place one dirty ice cube in the bottom of a deep V-shaped glass containing a Martini. BATCHED MARTINIS Pre-making a bottle of Martinis allows for smooth service, because the necessary dilution will already be measured in—no need to shake or stir each drink before serving! The freezer door is an ideal temperature, and therefore location, for storage. CALCULATE For each drink, you’ll need 11/2 oz vodka or gin and 1/4 oz dry white vermouth, plus 3/4 oz water (that’s a 6:1:3 ratio, for a dry Martini). Multiply by number of desired servings. For example, for 10 servings, fill a 750-mL bottle with 15 oz vodka or gin, 21/2 oz dry vermouth and 71/2 oz water. BOTTLE Using a clean screw-top wine bottle or other glass bottle, funnel the ingredients into the bottle. Cap the bottle and gently rotate or invert to mix. CHILL Chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or for up to two weeks. Pour 21/2 oz straight from the freezer into a chilled glass for each drink. HOLIDAY ORANGE-SPICED MARTINI Using gin in place of vodka gives this drink a kiss of evergreen. Crushed ice makes a dramatic, wintery serve, but the chilled drink still looks and tastes great without it. 11/2 oz vodka or gin 6 to 8 pieces whole dried spices, such as star anise, cinnamon bark pieces, cloves or cardamom 1/2 oz Sortilège (LCBO 250134, $35.75), or substitute 1/4 oz maple syrup 1/2 oz orange liqueur Fresh orange zest or dehydrated orange rounds to garnish (see TIP) Dried spices to garnish Makes 4 to 6 large spheres or cubes Makes 10 cocktails

1. Pour gin or vodka into cocktail shaker, add spices and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes to infuse flavours.

2. Chill a serving glass in the fridge or freezer, or by filling with ice water.

3. Add Sortilège (or maple syrup) and orange liqueur to cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake hard for 15 to 30 seconds, until thoroughly chilled and fragrant. 4. Create mound of crushed ice in cocktail glass, if using. Strain drink through a fine cocktail strainer into chilled glass. Garnish with orange and/or spices if using. TIP To make your own dehydrated orange slices, use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut thin horizontal slices from a whole orange. Dehydrate slices in a dehydrator according to appliance instructions, or in a 200°F (93°C) oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 2 or up to 4 hours, turning every 30 minutes. Cool com pletely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months. Makes 1 drink

CLASSIC MARTINI BY VICTORIA WALSH AND SCOTT McCALLUM Stirring a Martini over ice for 30 seconds to 1 minute (with a long-handled cocktail spoon, a chopstick, a metal straw—whatever you’ve got!) gives it a deep chill and silky-smooth texture, versus a hazy and ice-sharded shaken drink. For a dry Martini, use less vermouth, to your liking.

2 oz gin or vodka 1/2 oz dry vermouth Lemon twist or green cocktail olive

Putting on the Spritz from page 51

1. Stir spirit and vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon over drink, rub it around outer rim, then drop it in. Or simply drop in olive.

RUBY SPRITZ This rich, claret-coloured spritz has serious winter vibes, thanks to a blood orange note and a hint of chocolate. 3/4 oz blood orange gin, such as Malfy Gin Con Arancia (LCBO 10715, $45.70) 3/4 oz fresh mandarin, clementine or any orange juice

Makes 1 cocktail

DIRTY MARTINI CUBE BY KRISTEN EPPICH

Briny olive water is added to purified water to make this a salty, savoury cube. The olive is locked inside, to be enjoyed once the cube has melted. A lemon twist can also be added to this cube.

4 oz dry Lambrusco wine 2 dashes chocolate bitters 1 rosemary sprig to garnish 1 long twist blood orange zest

1. In a cocktail mixing pitcher, mix blood orange gin and mandarin juice.

4 to 6 large Martini olives 5 to 6 cocktail picks or toothpicks 11/2 cups (375 mL) purified water 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive brine

2. Pour over ice into a snifter and add Lam brusco. Add bitters and garnish with a blood orange twist tied up around a rosemary sprig.

1. Spear each olive with a cocktail pick and place one into each chamber of a six-sphere (or six large-cube) silicone ice tray.

Makes 1 drink

160

———————— HOLIDAY 2025