Apple Martinis

Christmas cocktail and our Christmas rat

I recently had the privilege to experience the extremely cool and imaginative The Cufflink Club in Singapore, owned by good friend Joel Fraser.

A number of my friends have recently become parents and for Joel The Cufflink Club is his baby. The culmination of many years hard work, honing skills and perfecting ideas while travelling the world. The bar is very cool with insights into the owners personality everywhere from the beautiful bar design mirroring the style of it's owner, who, i was reminded on a number of occasions, has been voted the second best dressed man in Singapore. The comedic touches, not only on the ever changing drinks menu but also inside the toilets where Alan Partridge takes over from Joel's front of house entertainment, providing the ongoing amusement with his audiobook on loop. The third notable area of Joel's personality is within the ingredients for the cocktails - Refresher bars and other sweets from the 80s and 90s show the continued existence of the child inside, the unshackled imagination necessary to continue to create the ever changing, individual menu.

The visit and many, many drinks consumed have rekindled the cocktail passion in myself, so over Christmas i dusted off the old cocktail shaker from it's very faded box and gave a simple recipe a try. Joel shared with me one of his secrets - the importance of exceptional ingredients and you can find non better than Mr Fitzpatricks cordials which i used in my drink.

Joel, please feel free to steal these Apple Martinis for your next menu, I'm sure they'd be even better with freeze dried apple slices and enjoyed in Singapore's finest cocktail establishment!


Ingredients for 2 drinks -

90ml Vodka
20ml Calvados
20ml elderflower and apple cordial
One eating apple
Ice

• Cut the apple in half, core and peel one half. Chop the apple into small cubes and place approx 1 tbsp in the bottom of a martini glass.
• Pour over the cordial, 10ml per glass, and muddle (cocktail speak) in the glass to release and mix flavours.
• Add ice to your cocktail shaker, add the vodka and Calvados.
• Shake well, do not stir...
• Strain into the 2 glasses and serve with a slice of the unpeeled apple.