Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 4 – Seaworthy Martini. The holidays are a time for small extravagances and this showstopping martini is no exception. Isle of Harris Distillery celebrates its unique maritime nature by using sugar kelp seaweed as its star botanical – yielding a truly divine gin.
As a content creator who has had the good fortune of partnering with many spirits brands, I’m not supposed to tell you this…but Isle of Harris Gin is truly my favourite gin on the market. It’s distinctive bottle is a work of art in and of itself, and the perfect vessel for the exceptional spirit it contains.
This post is sponsored by Isle of Harris.
Local distillers create this gin in their Scottish island distillery in a small copper gin still (“The Dotach”) which sits alongside her larger whisky-making sisters in the distillery’s bright Spirit Hall. The essential local ingredient is Sugar Kelp seaweed, gathered sustainably by hand by local divers (sea-lochs), as the key botanical to express the island’s unique maritime nature.
Sugar Kelp works in harmony with seven other careful chosen botanicals: juniper, coriander seeds, cubebs, cassia bark, angelica root, bitter orange peel, and licorice root.
Every bottle Isle of Harris Gin bears a paper seal with the distillery’s geographical coordinates to show where it is made, your guarantee of a truly Outer Hebridean gin, distilled in the Isle of Harris and nowhere else.
By employing young local distillers, who set to work each day distilling Isle of Harris Gin in small batches with traditional technique, the distillery contributes to sustainable island employment. As the team continues to grow to meet demand for this incredible gin, the distillery supports the island’s often fragile economy.
In addition to their important economic contribution, they make a damn good gin.
On the nose Isle of Harris Gin delivers aromas and flavours of juniper, sweet citrus and green herbs. The palate is smooth with a complex maritime note on the finish. In this riff on the classic gin martini, I wanted to celebrate the salinity of the sugar kelp in this unique gin by pairing it with dill pickle brine, dry vermouth, and a decadent garnish of potato chip, creme fraiche, dill pickle, and a mound of sturgeon caviar.
This is a gin worthy of the investment and also makes a great gift for the gin-lover in your life. This martini simply wouldn’t be the same without the distinctive taste of the sea you can find only in Isle of Harris Gin.
Be sure to tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern for a step-by-step cocktail tutorial on how to make this extravagant take on a classic.
Cheers, friends!
Seaworthy Martini
- 2½ oz Isle of Harris Gin
- ½ oz dry vermouth
- ½ oz dill pickle brine
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Garnish: sea salt kettle-cooked potato chip
- Garnish: crème fraiche
- Garnish: slice of dill pickle
- Garnish: sturgeon caviar
- Garnish: sprig of fresh dill
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Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir over ice until well-chilled.
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Strain into a chilled martini glass.
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For garnish, add a small dollop of crème fraiche onto a sea salt chip, top with a thin slice of dill pickle, add another layer of crème fraiche, top with a spoonful of caviar and a sprig of fresh dill. Balance on two cocktail picks or enjoy on the side.
