Oystertini

Start with fresh oysters. No pearls either, unless you're slipping them in there as a present for your sweetie, who you might want to warn about the pearls unless you are very proficient with the drunken Heimlich. Then there's vodka, vermouth, olives, cocktail sauce... This is a seafood lover's Martini. An oyster lover's Martini.

What's not to like?

We are huge oyster fans. Huge fans of raw oysters, that is. The way they should be served, too, on the shell, on a bed of ice, with lemon and some homemade cocktail sauce ... excuse us while we drool.

None of that pre-shucked plastic container full of oyster nonsense.

The Oystertini was developed following a week-long oysterfest known as Oysterpalooza, during which many, many, many, many oysters were shucked (we'll spare you the various shucking accidents and scars incurred as a result of drinking and shucking, but OWWWWWW that hurt).

Oysters were so much a part of every day life during Oysterpalooza that we decided they should be a part of the drinking regimen as well. We started by experimenting with oyster shooters, to get a little taste of what would become an all-time favorite.

The Oystertini.
















Note: All oysters are NOT created equally. Some oysters are smallish, some are average sized, and some, well... some make bananas look like they should be ashamed of themselves and are named Oysterzilla, attacking and demolishing many Coastal Japanese villages during their day.

These are the oysters ye seek for the perfect oystertini, but any raw oyster will do.
















So how do you go from oyster shot to Oystertini?

Very easily, in fact. The shot was so good it left us craving more. More oysters, more booze, more ... refinement.

Veritas!

But how do you keep the fresh, subtle, slightly salty oyster taste alive while mixing it with hard alcohol?

You dress it up.

This recipe calls for a little more dedication, a little more attention, a little more finesse than just throwing together a shooter. It deserves to become a Martini. But don't worry - it's relatively easy to pull off, so long as you're in an 'R' month.

Here's what you need:

• Fresh oysters and their juice (we used 2 per drink, but that's really up to you)
• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 ounces vermouth
• Lemon juice (to taste, but we used about half a lemon's worth)
• A tablespoon or so of homemade cocktail sauce*
• Olives (optional)
• 3-4 crushed ice cubes

Dump the ice in the shaker. Add the vodka, the vermouth, oyster juice and the lemon juice.

Eat a raw oyster.

Dude, life is so much better with incentive. Now put the empty shell down. Shake that baby with all you've got, and then shake it some more. Pour the drink into Martini glasses that you just pulled from the freezer, all foggy and crystallized. Lovingly add your oysters and a dollop of cocktail sauce. Olives if you like.

Mmmmmmm....

*To make the cocktail sauce, you will need:

• About a tablespoon of horseradish
• 3-4 tablespoons of ketchup
• A squirt of lemon juice
• A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
• A dash of old bay
• 2 drops Tabasco

Mix all ingredients and adjust proportions according to taste.

Pros of the Oystertini:

• Oysters, I mean, c'mon, we're talking raw OYSTERS here
• Clean, fresh martini with a sea salt taste
• Alcohol imbibed, lemon tasting fresh oysters
• Like drinking oysters on the shell

Cons of the Oystertini:

• The more you drink, the more you want, and you have to be careful with the shucking after a while. Don used to play guitar. Now we listen to a lot of CD's.

Tini Stars:

Chris: 10/10

Don: 11/10