Videos
How to batch mix a party Martini. | Fran Berger
We can have friends over again, (YAY!) and I think it's time to get back to home entertaining basics: having drinks ready for guests! My recommendation - use this very simple Martini recipe and pre-batch and pre-chill. The drinks are ready when you are, and you don't have to break away from all the fun.
First, let's do the math. Classic Martinis are about a 4-ounce drink (watch the video for the complete recipe). That's 2-¼ ounces of gin (or vodka), with ¾ ounce of Dry Vermouth. Now you're thinking, but where's the extra ounce? Don't forget that you gain 1 ounce of water from shaking the mix in a beaker of ice or stirring it over ice and straining the drink into a Martini glass.
Many bartenders agree that Vermouth doesn't belong in a dry martini - Extra Dry means NO VERMOUTH no matter who says otherwise! Then, there's a 50/50 gin/Dry Vermouth Martini that a lot of people love. Find the recipe you like, and then do the math. And don't forget that 1 ounce of water, or you'll have a mess.
Mix up a batch of six drinks, which works out to be about 25 ounces of liquid, into a 4-cup beaker. Or you can just pour everything into a durable glass bottle. I use a clean empty wine bottle. It holds 750 milliliters (about 25 ounces) of liquid and is perfect for this task. Then, I place the bottle in my freezer.
After 6 hours, your Martini mix is cold enough to serve. By the way, you can leave mixed drinks in a freezer. The water may freeze a little, but the alcohol won't freeze completely. It's why I keep my vodka in the freezer because alcohol and mixed drinks taste so much better when they are very cold - like, nearly frozen!
Serve with stuffed olives (pimento, blue cheese, etc.) or a classic garnish like a twist of lemon, and you're ready to welcome your guests with a bit of cheer. Saluti!
MUA:
Moses Sequeria, @moses53style
Wardrobe:
L'Agence Fashion, @lagencefashion
Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo
Rails Clothing, @rails
Set:
OXO, @oxo
Bombay Sapphire Gin, @bombaysapphireus
Noilly Prat French Vermouth, @maisonnoillyprat
House of Angostura orange bitters, @angosturahouse
Lindsay Olives, @lindsayolives
Luigi Bormioli Martini glasses, @luigibormioli
Fran Berger is unquestionably an entertaining dynamo, with an inimitable combination of elegance and edge. After mastering an incredibly successful over 20-year run as the original owner of The Farm of Beverly Hills®, a much-ballyhooed Beverly Hills landmark and Los Angeles area mini-chain of restaurants, where the Cobb Salad and Brownies have become gastronomic staples, Fran has gone on to earn her place in the national spotlight as one of the country's go-to home entertaining experts, becoming a recognizable face on daytime television and in consumer lifestyle media.
Fran's years of knowledge as an established entrepreneur and restaurateur are fused with her love of entertaining. Fran recognized people have so many concerns over entertaining — what to serve, how to serve it, and how to plan overall — making her ability to provide guidance, recommendations, and assistance in curating a personal entertaining style in high demand.
Fran doesn't plan parties. Instead, she works closely with her clients, who like a sophisticated lifestyle. She helps them curate the perfect bespoke experience for their guests. She knows all of her clients want to impress their guests with sophistication. Those she chooses to work with include some clients who may be just dipping their feet into the shallow end of the pool vis-à-vis entertaining and not sure where to start. They may need help organizing or reorganizing their dining areas after many years in the same home. Or, perhaps maybe those who have just purchased a beautiful new home and are now looking for the perfect refined collection of kitchenware.
As she excitedly proclaims, "If you're not comfortable entertaining, you're simply not going to do it, and then you've lost the opportunity for the joy in your life of having people come together. To me, this is the essence of life itself — inviting people together to get to know one another on a deeper level and having great fun over fabulous food."
Video Editing: Andy Riddle
Production: Shannon O’Dowd
Title design, Graphics: Ray Wyman Jr, @heavypen
Management: Brandi Kamenar, @brandikamenar
https://www.brandikamenar.com/