Recipe

• 30ml gin

• 30ml dry vermouth

• 3ml maraschino

• 2ml absinthe

• 3 dashes orange bitters

Stir thoroughly with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest and a cherry.

Superb!  I love a dry martini, and this felt like a lighter, more vibrant and curious twist on that.  The high proportion of vermouth and the dash of cherry sweetness made it very drinkable, while the absinthe and bitters gave it a deep, subtle spiciness.  It also looks great: clear all the way through, just a hint of green, and the garnishes adding a touch of brightness.

My cocktail skills have improved, and I am now confident at producing zest twists.  I invested in a citrus zester, which makes it dead easy to peel a long strand of zest off.  After this it's just a case of rolling it up (over the drink, to catch as much oil as possible) at the same time as stretching it.  This was the first time it actually stayed twisted in the drink, which I was pleased with.