Penguin Olive Dirty Martini

Happy Holidays.
I'll keep this short and sweet. It's only fitting that I end the year with a vegetable-centric festive cocktail—and a stiff one at that. After seeing a segment featuring this Penguin Olive Dirty Martini on the Today Show this morning, I knew I had to make it, despite the fact that it was only 11am. (I only had a few sips, but I did eat the turnip— probably the only person in the history of imbibing to do so. The penguin is fully edible, but it was just too cute; I couldn't bear to consume it.) Whether you're celebrating in Antartic temperatures or mild humid rain (hello, New York), here's something to keep you warm, at least on the inside, during our traditionally chilly holiday season.

Seriously, how adorable are these little guys?! They're just straight chillin' (that was so bad, but I couldn't resist.) This will be my last post in 2014; I'll see you again in the New Year. What do you have in store come January 1st? I am moving, and finally achieving my dream of an island kitchen! I think 2015 is going to be a good year :)

Cheers,
Rachel

Penguin Olive Dirty Martini (from Jeanne Benedict)

Ingredients:

For the dirty martini:

3 oz. vodka


1/2 oz. dry vermouth

Splash Martini green olive brine

For the penguin olives:

Small and jumbo black olives


1 – 2 large carrots, peeled


Cocktail onions


Sliced turnip, peeled, brushed with lemon juice


Rosemary stems


Toothpicks

Directions:

1. Make the martini: Add vodka, vermouth, and olive brine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

2. Make the penguin olives: cut a slit into the side of pitted jumbo olive and stuff with a small cocktail onion. (It may be necessary to pull a layer off the onion so it fits snugly inside the olive.)

3. Place a pitted small olive on its side on top of the body for the penguin’s head. Stick a toothpick down into the head and through the body to keep him together.

4. Slice a peeled carrot into ¼-inch thick rounds and cut a wedge out of the rounds for the penguin’s feet. Place the penguin body on the feet and push the toothpick down to keep it all together.

5. Cut carrot slivers for his beak. Insert the beak into the X on the olive head, (as opposed to the wider hole in the olive).

6. Insert penguin and rosemary into turnip slice. Place penguin olives in empty martini glasses and fill with Martini.