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Recipe Detail Page
Horseradish Martini
Autumn 2021
Give this quintessential cocktail-hour drink a hot and peppery twist with the addition of fresh horseradish. The savoury kick makes it the perfect match for oysters, or you can even serve it with an old-school roast beef dinner.
Makes 1 cocktail
2 1/2 oz Horseradish-Infused Gin (recipe follows), see TIP
1/4 to 1/2 oz dry vermouth
Long strip lemon peel
Olive, caper berry or pickled pearl onion for garnish (optional)
1. Pour gin and vermouth into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled, approximately 50 swirls or 45 seconds. Strain through a julep strainer into a chilled Martini or coupe glass. Pull lemon peel over glass, releasing oils into cocktail. Gently pinch, peel side out, misting oils over surface of drink. Rub peel around outside rim of glass, then add to glass. Garnish with olive or caper berry, if you like, or go for a Gibson-style cocktail by garnishing with pickled pearl onion.
Makes 1 cocktail
TIP No time to infuse? Use the same recipe with regular gin and garnish with a ribbon of fresh horseradish pulled using a vegetable peeler.
HORSERADISH-INFUSED GIN
The shorter infusion time yields a peppy result. Go a little longer, and you’ll find more of the rounded-out flavours of the horseradish, but be prepared for a Martini with a lot of eye-watering kick. Using this recipe for a Caesar or Bloody Mary? Take the infusion time up to 8 hours.
2 x 2-inch (5 x 5-cm) piece fresh horseradish
2 cups (500 mL) gin
1. Peel horseradish. Thinly slice, then cut into matchstick-size pieces. You should have about 1/2 cup (125 mL) matchsticks. Place in a large resealable jar. Pour gin overtop. Shake. Let stand until flavours infuse, 2 to 4 hours, according to your liking.
Makes 1 3/4 cups (425 mL) infused gin for approximately 6 Martinis
