Ever try a Vodka/Hop Martini?

I just did!:cross:
Made it myself, and lived to tell the tale!:rockin:

It's got potential.
Got 6 lbs whole hops from HopsDirect UPS today.

Wondering how I'm ever going to learn the different aroma flavors, so I invented the Hop Martini.

Do the hops conflict with the juniper berries?

I am curious....

Vodka, vodka, vodka!

I imagine a vodka hop tincture would be decent. You should try it out! Let it sit a few months, strain, enjoy, then report!

beergolf said:

Do the hops conflict with the juniper berries?

I am curious....

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I wouldn't think so as it's a vodka martini

beergolf said:

Do the hops conflict with the juniper berries?

I am curious....

Click to expand...

hops and gin, now that sounds like a perfect marriage!

oops , when you mentioned martini, I just thought of gin.

Read the title again and you said vodka...DUH.

It's all about the gin, baby! Very interesting - I may have to run out and grab a few hops to try this with!

/Vodka in a martini is sacrilege anyway...

At a bar I used to work at we'd put a bunch of jalapenos in a bottle of ketel one and it was awesome. I imagine doing the same with hops would also be awesome. I also saw a picture in a magazine of a commercially made "hopquila"

Interesting "hopquila"!

http://www.luxist.com/2010/06/12/hopquila-a-new-way-to-drink-hops-and-barley/

Hex said:

Interesting "hopquila"!

http://www.luxist.com/2010/06/12/hopquila-a-new-way-to-drink-hops-and-barley/

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That's the one!

Gonna have to put that one on my bucket list.

Vodka is a great base for infusions. Drop a couple of habañeros into a bottle of vodka, let it sit for a few weeks, enjoy. Fantastic in shots, mixed with sweet juices like passionfruit, or in bloody marys.

I imagine hops in vodka could be decent.

Hopped vodka certainly sounds interesting. I find that hard liquor with sweet or fruity flavorings is actually less pleasant, because the sweetness clashes with the alcohol and kind of opens your palate to it too much. But I can imagine that hop aroma would actually compliment it quite nicely...perhaps even the bitterness would as well, if you boiled some hops into a tincture and added that.

Dry-hopped cheap whisky also sounds pretty interesting...I'll definitely be trying it in the future!

Hex said:

I just did!:cross:
Made it myself, and lived to tell the tale!:rockin:

It's got potential.
Got 6 lbs whole hops from HopsDirect UPS today.

Wondering how I'm ever going to learn the different aroma flavors, so I invented the Hop Martini.

Click to expand...

so........? How was it?

It's got potential. It was hoppy and bitter.

I used a heaping tablespoon of dry cascade petals, crushed ice, a couple jiggers of a decent vodka, and a shaker.

I'm not a big hard alcohol drinker, but my sister is a bartender in San Francisco at Lucky 13, so when she gets back from there this weekend, we are going to do some more experiments.

Gin does sound interesting as well.

I personally don't like vodka martini's (makes the vermouth taste way too strong) but a regular martini extra dirty with hop tea and a bit of hop leaf instead of olive juice sounds quite tasty.

I couldn't resist trying one of these last night. My recipe:

1. 3 shots Tescos Finest Gin (not the best, not the worst, didn't want to waste the good stuff)
2. 1 splash of noilly prat
3. A tablespoon of hop tea, made from 2-3 buds of hallertauer hersbrucker hops (going for a citrusy finish)
4. A twist of lemon

Remarks: very bitter,slightly grassy - not unpleasant, but probably not an improvement over a pure martini! I will use less hop tea next time, so that there is just a hint of hops which should compliment the gin rather than overpowering it with bitterness.

Another survivor!