Recipe

• 5 parts vodka

• 1 part dry vermouth

Shake with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Put three olives (from brine) onto a cocktail stick and add.

Obviously I had to have this shaken, not stirred.

I've had this lots of times with gin, and I love it, but I've heard people like the vodka version and I thought I'd better give it a try. I shouldn't have been surprised to discover it doesn't taste of anything. Obviously that's the whole point of vodka, but… it really didn't taste of anything. I originally made it at about 8:1 for Claire's taste, but I decided it really ought to taste of something, so I added some vermouth and now it tastes of vermouth. And later, olives. I quite like vermouth and olives, so that's a thumbs-up from me.

It's definitely not up there with its gin cousin though.