Stawberry Balsamic Martini

It ought to be written into law:  a visit to Fabio Viviani's Firenze Osteria restaurant must start with one of co-owner Jacopo Falleni's inventive and delicious cocktails.  We were overwhelmed with choices after reading his cocktail menu and wanted to try each one - simultaneously - but since I was driving back to our hotel restraint was needed.

I don't much care for restraint you know.

Brad had made us one of these treats while we stayed in Palm Desert and we were hooked. The combination of vanilla rum, strawberries and balsamic vinegar make a tasty and tangy combination. This was the natural choice for me - strawberries and balsamic vinegar . . .MMM

Flash forward to the weekend and I found the first local strawberries on sale in the market. Visions of me sipping the wonderful martini we had tried, first in Palm Desert, and later in LA, popped into my mind. It was easy to make at home and every bit as good - word to the wise - be sure to use the freshest, ripest strawberries that you can find!

Strawberry Balsamic Martini

1 1/2 oz Vanilla Rum
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz  strawberry puree (from three small strawberries)
3 small strawberries
4 lime wedges
12-15 dashes of aged balsamic vinegar
Balsamic glaze

Preparation:

Take the three strawberries, make sure they are nicely washed and the stem is removed.  Place them in the mixing glass and add a lime wedge and 3/4 oz of simple syrup, 12/15 dashes of balsamic vinegar and start muddling.  The muddling process is done while you are pressing the lime so the unique flavor of the essential oil contained in the skin comes out.  Be careful not to over do it because it will result in bitter drink!

Add 1 1/2 oz Rum to a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. 

Then, pour the mix into the shaker and start shaking! 

Strain into a balsamic glaze drizzled martini glass.

Comments

[Healthy Foods Blog]

Wow! It's hard for me to express how elegant and sexy this martini is. I'm totally amazed.

- Tera

[Gail Hon]

Hi Jerry, found your blog quite by accident one day while searching for articles on Italy and have been checking back each day. The Strawberry Martini looks interesting but, all that vinegar scares me. 12 to 15 dashes and then drizzled in the glass also, isn't that a lot of vinegar? Always like trying new drinks. Always enjoy your pictures, recipes and "Trials and Tribulations"

[JDeQ]

Its funny Gail - you don't really taste the vinegar (well you taste it but it doens't ahve a strong vinegar taste - more of that sweet taste you come to expect with good balsamic).

It is al of those things Tera!

[dining table]

I am so curious with this one! I wonder how it tastes like!