May 15th is National Espresso Martini Day. Long before the first Espresso Martini, the first known recipe for a Martini, printed in 1888 and called the Martinez, lists its ingredients as gin, sweet vermouth, orange Curaçao, gum, and bitters, garnished with a lemon twist.

That sweet profile is closer to what modern bartenders call a Martini. Only a Dry Martini, made with gin or vodka, is a classic Martini. Everything else takes the Martini back to its Martinez roots in the 19th century.

In the decades following the Martinez, the drink dropped its sweet ingredients and evolved into the dry Martini—possibly with the emergence of London dry gin* and Martini and Rossi’s dry vermouth at the end of the 19th century.

The first known dry Martini recipe with gin and dry vermouth appears in 1904 [source].

Then came the Vodka Martini. We can’t pinpoint its first appearance, but in the U.S. at least, records show it being served in New York right after the appeal of Prohibition (December 5, 1933) [source].

Then, in the 1980s, many different flavors of Martini proliferated—mostly sweet flavors with added liqueur, taking the drink back to the Martinez days.

Check out these 50+ Martini recipes, from cinnamon to strawberry-balsamic. As you can tell from these two, most of these Martinis are sweet—back to the original Martinez.

We’re here to celebrate National Espresso Martini Day (the history of the Espresso Martini is below. But first, an Espresso Martini recipe from Kástra Elión vodka, the first premium vodka distilled from Greek olives. There’s more about the brand below.

> The history of the Martini.

> The history of espresso.

> The history of the Espresso Martini is below.

> The history of vodka.
 
 
RECIPE: ESPRESSO MARTINI

Instead of two ingredients in a Dry Martini—gin or vodka and vermouth—the Espresso Martini substitutes expresso liqueur for the dry vermouth and adds two more ingredients: cold brew coffee and simple syrup.

For a less sweet drink, eliminate the simple syrup. The liqueur has plenty of sweetness.

Kāstra Eliōn vodka has no hint of olives; you can use any vodka.

Most vodka is made from fermented grains such as corn, rice, rye, sorghum, or wheat; although grapes and other fruits (such as olives), as well as potatoes, are also used. You can even distill vodka from plain sugar!

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. ADD the ingredients to a shaker full of ice and shake hard for 30 seconds. Strain into a Martini glass.

2. GARNISH with coffee beans.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE ESPRESSO MARTINI

The creation of the Espresso Martini is attributed to British bartending guru Dick Bradsell, a mixologist who is credited with revolutionizing the London cocktail scene in the 1980s.

He is said to have created the drink—originally called the Vodka Espresso and then the Pharmaceutical Stimulant—at Fred’s Club in the late 1980s.

As the story goes, a customer asked for a drink to “wake her up” and he combined vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar that he shook into a frothy drink [source].

Some bartenders then added a garnish of three coffee beans, following the custom of a glass of the coffee liqueur, Sambuca. The three beans are said to represent health, wealth, and happiness [source].

The Espresso Martini is made with vodka. Per the comment at the top of the article, no one can pinpoint when the first vodka Martinis were made (in Europe in the 1930s or earlier?). But in the 1960s, vodka got a big boost from a man named Bond, James Bond. Agent 007’s “vodka Martini, shaken not stirred” catapulted this now-classic cocktail to instant stardom.

 
 
ABOUT KÁSTRA ELIÓN VODKA

Kástra Elión* Vodka, made in Greece, is the first premium vodka distilled from green Greek olives.

The vodka is distilled from wheat and a mixture of olives hand-picked in the town of Nafpaktos, a historic port town situated on the Gulf of Corinth in western Greece. The town has a castle, or kástra in Greek, which gives its name to the vodka.

The name roughly means “castles of the olive groves.” Kástra is the plural of kástro, Greek for a castle, and eliá is the word for olive.

The bottle is actually a reusable ceramic container, you can use for water or even as a flower vase.

On the nose there’s a hint of both saltiness and a fruity/vanilla sweetness, and it’s undeniably clean and pure. Tasting it, this is one of the most interesting vodkas I’ve tried in a while, and I’m not saying that just because I love Greece and its food and drink.

The flavor is clean and pure, velvety smooth. It’s a lovely sipping vodka.

Except for a slightly salty note (other vodkas can have a pepper note), it doesn’t have any hint of olives—just as other vodkas have no hint of the grain from which they’re distilled.

Stin ygeiá sas (“cheers,” in Greek).

[1] An Espresso Martini (photos #1 and #2 © Kástra Elión vodka).

[2] Kástra Elión vodka is made from green Greek olives. The bottle is reusable ceramic.

[3] It’s hard, but not impossible, to find espresso liqueur. Most of the brands are coffee liqueur (photo © Bottega Spa).

[4] Mr. Black cold brew coffee liqueur in an Espresso Martini (photo © Mr. Black).

[5] Cold brew coffee (photo © Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker).

[6] Classic simple syrup (it’s available in different flavors). You can buy it or make it with this recipe (photo © Sonoma Syrup).

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*London dry gins are flavored with juniper, complemented by touches of other botanicals: citrus and other fruits, herbs, spices, and/or others (bark, roots, e.g.), depending on the brand.

[1] Green Goddess salad dressing. Here’s the recipe (photo © Martha Stewart).

[2] Green mint chocolate chip cookies Here’s the recipe (photo © ).

If you’re hunting for St. Patrick’s Day recipes, take a look at our collection. We have 100 delicious recipes for:

 
Some are authentic Irish or Irish-American dishes, and others, like the dip in the photo, are simply a celebratory green.

Take a look!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17th, commemorates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick is believed to have brought Christianity to Ireland. He was born in Britain, around 387 C.E. When he was sixteen years old, he was captured by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland as a slave.

During his captivity, he became a Christian and, after six years of servitude, he escaped and returned to Britain. However, he felt called to return to Ireland to spread Christianity and spent many years traveling throughout the country, preaching and converting the pagan peoples to Christianity.

St. Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leafed clover, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity. This is why the shamrock has become a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. (The name shamrock comes from Irish seamróg, which means “young clover.”)

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is believed to have taken place in New York City in 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the British army marched through the streets. The parade became an annual event in New York City and subsequently in other cities with large Irish populations, such as Boston and Chicago.

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious holiday, and the first official St. Patrick’s Day parade there did not take place until 1931, in Dublin.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds around the world, with parades, festivals, and other events that often involve wearing green, drinking beer (which may be coored green), and enjoying Irish food and music.

This bright green spinach mashed potatoes recipe adds flavor and color to the table year-round but is especially delightful on St. Patrick’s Day.

From Idaho Potatoes, it’s actually smashed potatoes (with the skins on), that include a little something extra: sunchokes (photo #3).

The recipe was developed by Monica Kass Rogers of Lost Recipes Found for Idaho Potatoes.

> October 18th is National Mashed Potato Day.

> 30+ mashed potato recipes.

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes.
 
 
RECIPE: SPINACH MASHED POTATOES

You can save time by using frozen spinach, thawed, with the water squeezed out and purée.
 
Ingredients For 4 To 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the potatoes: Place 2 pounds of cleaned, unpeeled, Idaho potatoes in cold water. Heat the water to just below boiling. The water will be steaming but not moving. Cook the potatoes in steaming water until fork tender: about 1½ hours. While potatoes are cooking on the stovetop…

2. HEAT the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Toss the sunchokes in olive oil with salt and pepper. Place them on a sheet pan and roast until soft, 40-45 minutes. Place the head of garlic in a square of aluminum foil and roast it in the oven next to sunchokes, until soft. Remove the garlic from the oven, squeeze the cloves from the skins, and set aside.

3. TURN the oven down to 325°F. Remove the unchokes and purée with 1/2 cup cream, using an immersion blender or food processor. Set aside.

4. REMOVE the potatoes from the water when fork tender. Place in the 325°F oven to dry the potato skins. While the potatoes are in the oven…

5. HEAT a second pot of water to boiling for blanching the spinach. While waiting for the spinach water to boil…

6. MELT the butter with the remaining cup of cream in a small saucepan until hot. Set aside.

7. BLANCH the spinach in boiling water for two minutes. Using a strainer, remove the spinach from the water and plunge it into ice water. Squeeze out the water. Purée the spinach using a food processor or an immersion blender. Set aside.

8. REMOVE the potatoes from the oven. Leave the skins on. In a large pot, smash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add small amounts of the hot cream/butter mixture as you go until the potatoes are fluffy. Add the garlic and sunchoke puree and smash some more. Fold in puréed spinach. Adjust seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste.
 
 
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*If you can’t find sunchokes, substitute Yukon Gold potatoes.

[1] Spinach mashed potatoes, colorful and delicious (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Idaho russet potatoes (photos #2 and #4 © Good Eggs).

[3] Sunchokes are knobby like ginger root (no relation). Just scrub them, don’t peel them (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

[4] Baby spinach.

Pack your corned beef and cabbage leftovers into a hearty broth bowl (photo © Omaha Steaks).

Every November we’re flooded with recipes that use Thanksgiving leftovers: turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, all of it!

We’ve tried leftovers recipes for muffins, omelets, pizza, tacos, waffles, and more: There are tons of Thanksgiving leftovers recipes. But we rarely get one for St. Patrick’s Day.

Here, for starters, is an easy one: a hearty corned beef and cabbage broth bowl. It’s the easiest recipe: All you have to do is heat some broth and add your leftovers.

Use your favorite broth. We use beef or chicken bone broth, but you can use vegetable broth or low-sodium broth.

The bowl in the photo is jam-packed*, but you can use fewer leftovers with more broth.

If you don’t have enough vegetables, fill out the bowl with the carrots, celery, and onions you have on hand. Pre-cook them in the broth so they’ll be as tender as the leftover vegetables.

What to do with the stuffing and cranberry sauce?

 
> What is corned beef?

> The history of corned beef.

 
Preparation
 
1. CUT the corned beef and vegetables into bite-size pieces that are “spoonable.”

2. HEAT the broth and add the leftover ingredients. If you are taking the leftovers directly from the fridge and they are cold, warm them briefly in the microwave before adding them to the broth.

3. GARNISH as desired.
 
 
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*The term jam-packed, first recorded in 1924, refers to the fact that jam can be packed very tightly into a container, in such a way that all spaces are filled and nothing can move.

Move over peppadews: There’s a new mini chile to add panache to your food. Introducing binquino, a petite chile pepper that’s native to Brazil and sold in the US.

Rating from 1,000 to 2,000 on the Scoville heat scale, it packs a wee punch—about the same as ground chili powder.

The biquinho (bee-KEEN-yo), also known as the sweety drop, is typically sold pickled. It adds a kiss of flavor to everything it touches.

But if you can find them fresh (or grow your own), their smokey-sweet flavor is delicious on crudité platters, in salads, stews, stir-fries, and baked into breads, savory muffins, and scones.

The little chile delivers color, flavor, elegance, and whimsy. Their small teardrop shape and zesty flavor are alluring with gourmet appeal.

The marinades are usually tangy-sweet, creating a pickled chile pepper that’s just right for special occasions or casual snacking.

> Related chiles on the Scoville scale.

> The different types of chiles.

> The history of chile peppers, and why they’re called chiles (correct) and peppers (less accurate).
 
 
WHAT ARE BIQUINHO (SWEETY DROP) PEPPERS?

They’re tiny tear drop-shaped peppers about the size of a nickel. The name means “little beak,” referring to the pointed tips (photo #1).

Most commonly red, you can also find them in yellow. The combination of the two colors adds many creative options to your fare.

Thanks to our colleague Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog for the introduction.
 
 
HOW CAN YOU USE BIQUINHO PEPPERS?

Hannah says: “If you crave the salty, briny bite of pickles like I do, it’s hard to resist popping them in your mouth straight away. Soft, tender flesh gives way to crunchy seeds for a wholly satisfying bite.

“Of course, if you can delay that gratification, there’s no end to their use in everyday and special occasion dishes alike.”

Just open the jar and use the peppers for:

 
Don’t throw out the marinade, by the way. Pop in some grape (pear) tomatoes—or even some grapes—and let them sit for a day or two in the fridge. You’ll have more pickled possibilities.
 
 
GET YOUR BIQUINHOS

If you can’t find biquinhos at an olive bar near you, look online. We found these on Amazon:

 
You can also buy seeds to grow your own. Also see photos #4 and #5.

You’ll have lots of food fun with these creative peppers, which add both elegance and whimsy to your food.
 
 
BIQUINHO TRIVIA

The pepper has a distinctive smoky flavor like other members of its genus and species, Capsicum chinense.

While biquinhos are very mild (between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville Heat Units), it has species relatives that include the habanero and some of the hottest peppers in the world—like the bhut naga with Scoville Heat Units of more than 2 million.

[1] The petite biquinho pepper from Brazil is about the size of a nickel (photos #1, #2, AND #3 © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] For a cocktail garnish, or a larger appetizer pick, the pickled biquinho is perfect.

[3] For color and flavor, toss them into salads, on pizzas, canapés, and so much more.

[4] Grow yellow biquinho peppers—it’s less common to find them pickled. Buy seeds from Rare Seeds (which also has red biquinho seeds (photo © Rare Seeds).

[5] Another source to grow your own: Pepper Joe, a specialist in chile seeds and plants (photo © Pepper Joe).