Happy Holidays everyone, and welcome back to 3-Ingredient Happy Hour, the weekly drink column featuring super simple yet delicious libations. This week we’re making a wintry martini, inspired by the starkly beautiful birch tree.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/12/get-into-the-holiday-spirit-with-a-bittered-sling/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/pwvfdz2jycbfx14grcme.jpg” title=”Get Into The Holiday Spirit With A Bittered Sling” excerpt=”Happy Monday, everyone, to help you get through the last week of work we have designed this holiday drink. We’re making a spirit-forward beverage to get you into the holiday spirit — the Bittered Sling.”]
Birch trees may not be the evergreens we put our presents under, but there is something about their snow white bark that gives them an undeniably seasonal look, and their sap is downright delicious. Birch liqueur — which hails from Iceland but can be purchased in most countries — has a woodsy, honey-sweet, almost licorice-y flavour that’s pretty pleasant on its own as a digestif.
When mixed with gin for a wintry martini, it becomes a bit more bracing, taking on the character of a crisp and snowy winter night.
(If all of that sounds a bit flowery, don’t overthink it; it tastes like alcohol and botanicals, which are two things I like tasting.) To make one, you will need:
-
75 mL of London dry gin
-
15 mL birch liqueur
-
2 dashes orange bitters
Pour everything into a glass filled with ice and stir until the glass becomes uncomfortably cold. Strain into a coupe, and sip while admiring your festive tree. Repeat until you are full in the holiday spirit.
Comments