Cocktail of the Week: The London No.1 Gin ‘Lychee Martini’

How do you reinvent perhaps the world’s most iconic cocktail? Easy. Add lashings of lychee — a sweet-tasting tropical fruit with notes of grape, strawberry and melon. Swirled into ‘Kwai Feh’ liqueur, the delectable Chinese delicacy benefits from a slightly boozy finish; its tart finish tempered by equal measures of sugar and spirit.

It also pairs perfectly with The London No.1 Gin; the best base for the most statement, signature martini we’ve every had the pleasure of shaking (never stirring, obviously). With aromatic notes of liquorice, almonds and cinnamon, this British-made spirit has an almost sensual feel to it; delicate on the palate but with a balanced flavour profile. Although it’s the colour that really sets this lively gin apart — as it’s imbued with a distinctive, dazzling blue hue.

This striking spin makes it the ideal spirit for a ‘Lychee Martini’; itself a tropical, tastebud-tingling twist on a classic. Most people date the origin of the exotic mixed drink to the early nineties, when Manhattan bar Decibel threw open its doors and introduced Manhattan to the Japanese flavours of sake, shochu — and the inimitable lychee-laced martini.

Others trace the ‘Lychee Martini’ to another New York nightspot — the Korean hideaway Clay — where it’s claimed bartender Han-Jae Park first decided to shake up the martini’s stiff-upper-lipped, stiff-drink reputation with a shot of lychee liqueur.

Origins aside, The London No.1 Gin’s take on the cocktail is the best we’ve ever come across; a uniquely intoxicating creation, sitting just the right side of saccharine thanks to floral flavours and a slightly sharp edge. Find out how to make it below, and remember — if you chill your martini glass with a scoop of crushed ice before you start creating your drink, it’ll ensure your cocktail stays cool for longer. Happy mixing.

Ingredients:

• 50ml of The London No.1 Gin
• 50ml of Kwai Feh Lychee Liqueur
• 25 ml of fresh Lime Juice
• 1 Rose Petal to garnish

Method:

1. Chill a martini glass with a scoop of crushed ice
2. In a Boston glass, add the London No 1, Lychee liqueur and lime juice
3. Fill the Boston glass with as much cubed ice as possible
4. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds
5. Discard the crushed ice from the martini glass
6. Strain your shaken mixture in to the chilled martini glass
7. Garnish by placing a rose petal on to your cocktail

Want more cocktail from the blue-hued brand? Here’s how to make the classic The London No.1 Gin Martini…

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