Forbidden Martini Recipe
song cai dry, dolin dry, brine, forbidden rice, kalamata olive dry, briney
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Forbidden rice infusion (makes extra — use 0.5 oz)
Garnish / optional finishing
Method
Forbidden rice infusion (make ahead, 30–40 minutes)
- 1
Cook and steep
Rinse 2 tablespoons of forbidden (black) rice under cold water. Combine the rice and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes until grains are softened and water is deeply colored. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then strain the liquid through a fine mesh into a jar. Reserve the dark purple-black infusion. Chill if not using immediately. (Yield: about 3–4 oz infused water; you will use 0.5 oz per cocktail.)
Cocktail assembly
- 2
- 3
Mix
In a mixing glass or shaker filled with ice, combine 2.5 oz Song Cai dry gin, 0.5 oz Dolin Dry vermouth, 0.25 oz olive brine (from the kalamata jar), and 0.5 oz forbidden rice infusion. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
- 4
Taste & adjust
Taste a small amount (or wet-spoon) and adjust if needed: add an extra 0.25 oz vermouth if you prefer less dry gin-forward character, or an additional 0.1–0.2 oz olive brine for a brinier profile. Stir briefly after adjusting.
- 5
Strain & serve
Dump the ice water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the stirred cocktail into the chilled glass using a Hawthorne or fine strainer to remove any small ice shards or rice particles.
- 6