Shake, Shake, Shake: put the right ingredients in a Martini glass—and you've got a winner

Cheers, May, 2004 by Cheryl Ursin

RELATED ARTICLE: LAY UPS

Bartenders and beverage managers with successful Martini programs are constantly looking for the newest flavors--pomegranate Martinis and lycee-nut Martinis seem to be coming into fashion--and for new twists, so to speak.

Layering, for instance, makes for a striking presentation. The Dylan Prime Pietinis generally sport a top layer of cream and Licor 43, a vanilla liqueur. It actually functions to balance the cocktails, managing partner Michael Water-house reports. "The base [of these cocktails] is sweet, way too sweet to be drunk alone, and the top is not," he explains.

Meanwhile, at Michi, popular layered Martinis include Sex with a Shark (Malibu, Midori and pineapple juice with a sinker of Chambord and a float of Jagermeister) and the Maitai Martini, with a Myers's floater, Captain Morgan shaken with orange and pineapple in the middle and a sinker of Midori.