Martini Fountain Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Makes: 12 martinis
Ingredients Needed
- 750ml/25oz bottle gin, chilled
- 180ml/6flozs Vermouth, chilled
- 600g/1.3lbs pitted olives
- 250g/8.8ozs pickled onions
- Bitters and orange or lemon zest to serve
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - GARNISHES Drain the olives but reserve the brine keeping them in a jug for people to add to their cocktails. Place the olives in the second or larger plate on the fountain. Drain the cocktail onions and add these to the smaller plate on the fountain above the olives. Add bitters and orange or lemon zest on the side along with the olive brine and cocktail sticks so that people can mix their martinis to their personal preferences.
Step 2 COCKTAIL - Pour the chilled Gin and Vermouth into the main bowl of the drink fountain. Add some large ice cubes and turn the fountain on!
Personal Note
I made this Martini Fountain for Friendsmas. We didn't make it for Christmas with the Elliotts because they don't drink much alcohol and if they do drink, they prefer cocktails with mixers or soda added to them. But Laura, LimaLimaDelta, Queen Viv and Mr NQN all enjoy martinis.
Like a wedding or event planner, I have a running sheet with times that everything has to be done on the day. But this year I was running late, like really late. I think I made one too many dishes for Christmas and I should have asked Laura to make something because she's a great cook.
I wanted to have the martini fountain running and ready by the time Laura and LimaLimaDelta arrived. It's actually ludricrously easy, all you do is add a bottle of gin and 3/4 of a cup of Vermouth into the fountain and the motion of the fountain mixes it all up.
I added it all in and turned on the button. Nothing. "Whaaat?" I exclaimed. I had tested this out 3 days ago and it worked fine. "Are you sure you put it together properly?" I asked Mr NQN. "Did you look at the instructions?" He had already had a tantrum that morning about raspberries but he assured me that it was all ok. Then the doorbell rang and it was Laura and LimaLimaDelta who arrived exactly at 2pm on the dot.
"My martini fountain won't work!" I cried - bless them as they sprang into action. LimaLimaDelta and Mr NQN immediately worked on troubleshooting the martini fountain. They drained the cocktail out and then pulled it apart while Laura and I were prepping the rest of the food.
There was a lot of discussion, hands on chins and looking at the fountain from all angles. The power was coming through as there was a light on. Then they started to hear a little noise coming out of it as LimaLimaDelta did something. "Keep doing that, but more!" I said as that was the noise of the fountain starting up. And when it was tightened up, the fountain roared to life in its most spectacular form dispensing martinis to all the party guests. And Laura loved this so much that she is doing her own martini fountain for her Christmas party.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you like martinis? And do you ever make a running sheet for parties?