MELON MARTINIS IN AN ICE STORM

RAY’S MELON MARTINI

2 ounces vodka

¾ ounce Sour Mix

½ ounce Midori

1 maraschino cherry

There was an ice storm in Vermont today and we had to take a day off of skiing. The condo we are in also lost its electricity, and wifi is hard to find. Luckily, you don’t need electricity or wifi to make cocktails and we suddenly had plenty of time to devote to drinking.

Today’s signature cocktail — because God knows it wasn’t the only cocktail of the day — is from In the Land of Cocktails by Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan, proprietors of Commander’s Place in New Orleans, a wonderful place for cocktailing. RAY’S MELON MARTINI is for Niki, a good friend who likes martinis and who thought the last drink I gave her would kill her. This one she liked, though it reminded her of a holiday cocktail and the holidays were the last thing I wanted to recreate. I’m happy that crazy time is over.

To make the colorful RAY’S MELON MARTINI put the vodka, sour mix and midori into a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, shake away and strain into glasses with ice. Then top it off with a maraschino cherry for the full holiday effect.

As you can see, RAY’S MELON MARTINI is a bright neon green. That comes from the midori, an interesting tasting and delicious melon liqueur that I’ll be using often in my future. My ski trip friends thought it looked like kryptonite, then asked for seconds. The husband put it in his top 10 cocktails and we all agreed that it tasted like it looked — sweet with a touch of sour. It was refreshing and fun, and a great way to wait out an ice storm, the likes of which New Orleans will never see.

Drink Up^

Cocktail Connie