Smoke Out Martini (Original Recipe)

 

A stroke of genius or a sign of madness: this cocktail, like most Martini variations, comes down to the garnish adding that roasted and smoked saltiness that sets it apart.

I took inspiration from the Octopus Garden Martini that uses a smoked octopus arm as its garnish. I figured if you can do that, why not increase the garnish and go for smoked hams and root vegetables? What you are looking at (from left to right) is prosciutto, roasted beet, coppa, roasted radish and roasted parsnip. You can do this with just about any vegetables: zucchini, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower all come to mind. But I wanted to stick to roots and the earthiness they impart. These vegetables were roasted with olive oil, salt and black pepper only. A little olive oil makes its way into the drink and floats on the surface, which is also desirable. 

For my final trick, I used a drizzle of MurLarkey's Smokehouse whiskey on the surface of the cocktail, and that was all it took to elevate the smokey roasted scent and salted meat flavor.

• 3 oz. vodka (Smirnoff no. 57 used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin Extra Dry used)
• 1 tsp. MurLarkey Smokehouse whiskey
• assortment of roasted vegetables and cured meats

Roast vegetables coated in olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees for a half hour or until their skin crisps and they are soft like a cooked potato. Allow them to cool before skewering them with meats for the garnish. 

In a shaker, combine vodka and dry vermouth with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled, wide Martini glass. Garnish with skewer of meats and vegetables and drizzle Smokehouse whiskey over the glass. (Note: this cocktail is not vegan, even if you leave off the meats. MurLarkey Smokehouse has residual bacon from the smoker.)