The davek Martini

Many people enjoy a beverage. Some enjoy libations. Personally, I prefer wine, beer and gin. When it comes to gin, I think it's best served as a martini.

I imagine if you've ever reviewed a martini menu at an upscale bar or restaurant, you've seen all sorts of scary variations on the martini. The davek might be considered a bastardization by some, but I urge you to read on.

I like salty flavors. The caper is a misunderstood pickled garnish, perhaps sister to the unstuffed pickled olive. One day, being out of olives, I considered these two facts. I added 3 capers, along with the 1/2 teaspoon of juice that comes with them upon extraction from the jar, to my nearly completed martini. The result was my new fave.

Let's step back a second. First, one has to appreciate the martini as a seasonal drink. If you want gin between Memorial Day and Labor Day, make a G&T. So let's say it's past Labor Day, and you're in the mood for gin. Time to experiment with the davek.

In another writing, I'll discuss gin. For now, take a bottle of your favorite martini gin. Chill according to your favorite method. Make the martini very dry through one of the following methods. Either rinse a clean martini glass with dry vermouth or, after pouring the gin, use a mister to add an essence of dry vermouth.

Add a couple of drops of Angostura aromatic bitters. Finally, use a teaspoon to liberate 3 nonpareil capers (not caper berries) from a jar and accidently end up with about 1/2 teaspoon of the juice. Add to your marini and voila, you have a davek. Sip and enjoy. And make sure you call it a davek (pronounced da-vek - da like dapper and vek like trek).