Aaron Dorman
The Drink: White Chocolate Raspberry Martini
The Bartender: Kristin Pero
The Bar: Martinis Scratch Kitchen and Lounge
1004 Calumet Avenue, Valparaiso IN 46383
James Bond famously orders his martini shaken, not stirred.
I ordered mine with raspberry white chocolate.
I'm not sure what that says about my taste, but bartender Kristin Pero tells me that's what all the kids are doing these days: the older crowd likes their martinis the old fashioned way, basic and dirty, while the younger bargoers want fruity vodka, or with chocolate.
The raspberry white chocolate martini is one of several holiday-season items available at Martinis, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
People are also reading...
This is the first time Pero was tasked with coming up with a holiday menu. The raspberry martini is made with vanilla vodka, Chambord, raspberry puree, crème and white chocolate. In addition to that drink, Pero said the holiday menu includes a peppermint martini, a cranberry old fashioned, and a "White Christmas" margarita.
Pero said she spends a lot of time researching and coming up with drinks for the cocktail and martini menu, in order to appeal to a wide audience. She has a self-imposed mandate, however, to load the menu with martini varieties.
That's because the aptly named restaurant tries to specialize in martinis and carve out a niche in the Valpo nightlife and dining scene.
"We're one of the few area bars that have a martini list that's extensive," Pero said.
One other thing that Martinis does, which is fairly unique, is that they grow a lot of their own herbs and garnishes to put into drinks, including mint, basil and rosemary. Right now they are trying to incorporate fresh coconut into the mix.
A crème-based martini is a good way, I think, for people to appreciate vodka while avoiding any harsh aftertaste, although, while delicious, a fruity or chocolatey drink that hides the alcohol base could be considered "cheating."
So how do you make sure the classics go down just as easy?
"A dirty martini is just vodka, olive juice and an olive," said Mario Mills, VP of national accounts with Michigan-based Good Boy vodka. Mills is local and a frequent guest at Martinis, which carries their brand.
"You need a multi-step, detailed distillation process," Mills said, noting Good Boy's vodka is distilled six times before being bottled. "The right distillation process gets rid of that burning sensation and can give a clean, crisp taste."
GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Aaron Dorman
Food Scene Reporter
Author email Follow Aaron Dorman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Don't have an account? Sign Up Today