Lychee Martini Recipe from The Fareham Wine Cellar

Inspired by Nigella Lawson's Lychee Martini cocktail which featured in her BBC television show last Christmas, I have been experimenting and have finally decided that this is my finished Lychee Martini recipe!

Lychee Martini

1 Measure Good Vodka such as Belvedere or Cold River.

1 and 1/2 Measures Edmond Briottet Litchi (Lychee) liqueur.

A dash of Lychee juice from some tinned Lychees.

1 or 2 Lychees on a cockail stick to decorate.

Shake all of the ingredients together over ice for about 20 seconds.

Strain the cocktail into a Martini glass straight from the freezer and decaorate with a lychee on a cocktail stick. Et voila, as they say somewhere!

I like to use the Briottet Litchi liqueur as it is one of the better, more concentrated compared to others I have tried. Indeed, all of Briottet's liqueur including his Creme de Cassis, Mure, Framboise and Fraise de Bois are all superb.

Cold River and Belvedere are my two favourite vodkas. The Belvedere is made from Golden Rye from Poland and and is distilled four times. There is a hint of vanilla on the nose, the palate is very creamy and clean but also full and rich. The Cold River, being made from potatoes, is a slightly fuller vodka and has an oily texture on the palate, Not quite as sweet as the Belvedere. Very nice!