South Australia’s artisan distillers make some of the most exciting gins on the market. There can be no better way to experience each one than in the perfect martini.

Recipes Jacob Quigg | Location Hennessy Rooftop Bar, Mayfair Hotel | Photographs Aubrey Jonsson

Sunset Martini
60ml 78° Sunset Gin
5ml Antica Formula

Start with ice in your martini glass and mixing glass. Add 30ml Antica Formula sweet vermouth to your mixing glass, stir for 30 seconds, then pour out 20ml of the vermouth. Add gin and stir for a further 45 seconds. Remove ice from the martini glass and double strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with an orange twist on the side of the glass.

Dirty Durand
60ml Durand The Matriarch gin
5ml Noilly Prat
20ml olive brine

Start with ice in your martini glass and mixing glass. Add 30ml Noilly Prat dry vermouth to your mixing glass and stir for 30 seconds then pour out 25ml of the vermouth. Add the gin and olive brine and stir for a further 45 seconds to combine. Remove ice from the martini glass and double strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with two whole green olives.

Smoking Gun Martini
45ml Never Never Southern Strength Gin
15ml Ardberg Ten
5ml Noilly Prat

Start with ice in your martini glass and shaker tin (small side ¾ full). Then add 30ml of Noilly Prat dry vermouth to your tin and stir for around 30 seconds to stain the ice, after which you will pour out around 25ml of the vermouth. Add gin and whiskey and shake for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove ice from your martini glass and double strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a pig-tail lemon twist.

Wet & Wild
60ml KIS Wild Gin
20ml Antica Formula

Start with ice in your martini glass and mixing glass. Add 30ml Antica Formula sweet vermouth to your mixing glass, stir for 30 seconds and pour out 10ml of the vermouth. Add gin and stir for a further 45 seconds. Remove ice from the martini glass and double strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with three stuffed green olives.

Prohibit This
60ml Prohibition Gin
5ml Noilly Prat

Start with ice in your martini glass and mixing glass. Add 30ml Noilly Prat dry vermouth to your mixing glass, stir for around 30 seconds to stain the ice, then pour out 25ml of the vermouth. Add gin and stir for a further 45 seconds until combined – you don’t want to over dilute martinis. Remove ice from the martini glass and double strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lemon curl on the side of the glass.

 

Notes
• Always start with ice in your martini glass and mixing glass, chilling the glass is crucial for a good end result.
• “Dirty” in the name of a martini refers to the use of olive brine in the mixing process.
• “Wet” or “dry” in the name of a martini refers to the amount of vermouth left in the drink after the ice-staining process.
• “Double straining” through a hawthorn strainer and a fine strainer is important for making sure no shards of ice make it into the final drink.

 

This article first appeared in the September 2021 issue of SALIFE magazine.