The Burning Mandarin

In my humble opinion, this quite possibly the best martini ever. The first sip is an intriguing combination of bright citrus followed by a slow burn, brought on by the serrano chiles that are muddled in the bottom of the cocktail shaker. We tried it at Katsuya, the uber fashionable, sushi restaurant in Hollywood, which is the kind of place where faces are tight, heels are high, and waists are tiny....and where a smallish dinner for two easily runs into the triple digits, especially when you add in the drinks. But a celebration was in order, and we lifted our glass to endings, to new beginnings, and most of all, to the prospect of an excellent summer.

Of course the next day, I hurried off to the store to buy the ingredients for this amazing cocktail. Though it requires a bit of prep (like most delicious things that come out of the kitchen), I assure you it is worth every small effort.

The Burning Mandarin Martini
inspired by Katsuya Restaurant

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 martini

Ingredients:

2 slices of serrano chile
1 1/2 ounces Absolute Mandarin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce cranberry juice

Preparation:

1. Muddle one slice of chile in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, orange juice, and cranberry juice, along with one large handful of ice.

2. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with remaining chile slice.