Each man under his own fig tree

At Kester Thomas, Erwan Le Bonniec and co. are making some seriously sharp reinventions of some of the classic cocktails.

This twist on the classic Martinez (the predecessor to the Dry Martini) goes vintage and golden with a tight line from the first boozy sensation through the deep wooden notes and the sweet figs, to the lingering orange aftermath.

The Vintage Martini is based on Citadelle Réserve Gin. This crystal clear gin with a slight golden amber contains no less than 22 carefully selected and balanced botanicals. Most prominent in the nose is a range of dried spices, pine, tobacco, orange blossom and aromatic lemon zest while the mouth adds a complex palette with juniper, floral notes of lavender and violets followed by a distinct yet subtle vail of wood and vanilla deriving from the barrel ageing of the spirit.

Almost in the same style of scotch, the Citadelle Réserve is a blend of five gins that have been aged in different types of wooden barrel – acacia, mulberry, cherry, chestnut and French oak for five months. After ageing, the gins are then blended to perfection and left to refine in an eight-foot tall egg shaped oak barrel designed to facilitate a harmonious and delicate integration of the blend.

The vintage twist is brought in from Portugal, replacing vermouth in the traditional recipe with Colheita Feist 2005 vintage tawny port, which brings deep wooden notes and the sweetness of delicious ripe figs. The port brings a fresh rosy cheek to the golden gin.

Lastly, the Orange Curaçao liqueur adds sweet notes of candied oranges to balance the port wine tannins and complement the wood aged flavor profile.

Vintage Martini –
40ml Citadelle Réserve Gin
20ml Port Colheita 2005
10ml Dry Curaçao
2 dashes chocolate bitters
Orange peel essences

Pour ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until the right dilution. Pour straight up in a Nick & Nora glass and zest orange peel on top then discard the peel. Serve with dried figs on the side.

The dried figs served enables you to tailor the sweetness to your palates preference. It perfects the experience of the Vintage Martini, bringing you slightly closer to the summer sun – however cold and rainy Copenhagen might be.