Black Martini

Celebrate the night with this cocktail special, the Black Martini!

A fairly recent addition to the growing pantheon of mixed drinks, the Black Martini is a deliciously wicked variation of a Martini. Instead of using vermouth, you add either blackberry brandy or chambord, a raspberry-flavored liqueur.

For extra darkness of night, several recipes suggest using Blavod, a black-colored vodka brand. The black coloring in Blavod comes from black catechu, an extract found in Uncaria Gambier trees in Asia. As far as taste, most people will not notice a taste difference in Blavod compared with other popular clear vodkas on the market. On the vodka spectrum, it may not be up with Grey Goose, but isn't too far off. This is a high quality vodka.

2 ounces of vodka
1 ounce of chambord (black raspberry liqueur) - some recipes call for blackberry brandy instead
1/2 oz. Blue Curacao (optional)
Lemon twist or skewered blackberries for garnish

In a shaker over cracked ice, pour in the vodka (or gin) and chambord (or blackberry brandy). Shake and then strain into a cockatil glass of choice. A lemon twist is suggested for a garnish by some recipes, but vampire's teeth, which would be perfect for Halloween. Or just use a maraschino cherry or two.

Obviously, if you don't have Blavod, the more Chambord or blackberry brandy you use, the darker your drink will be.