A spoonful of bitter orange marmalade does something clever in a gin sour: it adds sweetness, body and a pleasant bitterness from the peel all at once. The Breakfast Martini tastes like toast and jam turned into a crisp, bright cocktail. Despite the name, it is just as good in the evening.
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Taste4.4
Balance4.4
Easy to make4.3
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Garnish: Orange twist, optionally a small triangle of toast · Ice: Served up, no ice
Method
Chill a cocktail glass.
Stir the marmalade and gin together in the shaker until the marmalade loosens.
Add Cointreau, lemon juice and ice.
Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled glass and garnish with an orange twist.
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Watch it made
Breakfast Martini
Taste
Bright and bittersweet, with juniper, fresh lemon and the chunky bitter orange of marmalade. Medium-bodied, refreshing and moderately strong.
History and origin
The Breakfast Martini was created in the 1990s by Italian-born bartender Salvatore Calabrese, then at the Library Bar of the Lanesborough Hotel in London. As he tells it, the idea came from a breakfast of toast and marmalade, when he wondered how the bittersweet spread would work in a drink.
In structure it is not a Martini at all but a close relative of the White Lady, a gin sour with orange liqueur, with marmalade taking the place of some of the sugar. It quickly became a staple on London cocktail menus and is one of the best-known British modern classics.
Bartender tips
Use a proper thick-cut bitter Seville orange marmalade; sweet orange jam makes a flat, sugary drink.
Loosening the marmalade in the gin first stops it clumping on the ice.
