It's Tomato Grappatini Time!

The other day I was sipping a Rear Admiral Joseph's martini (I have perfected it - a little more vermouth than usual and a splash of ice water from the iced martini glass, and it is a very good martini) while making ensalata caprese and I realized that I should be drinking tomato grappatinis! Remember the experiments from last summer?

A refresher:

White tomato juice: juice your absolutely top notch heirloom tomato and allow the juice to settle. All you want to use is the clear fluid (use the solids in your homemade ketchup). You may want to filter it, because the clearer the juice, the better the grappatini.

Grappa: it really does not matter which one. I would not use one of my expensive grappe, though. Rue flavored grappa might be nice. 2 shots.

Vermouth: To taste. I would use Punt e Mes or Antica Formula or even extra dry Cinzano with a drop of cynar. I use just a touch, though.

Dash of bitters.

In shaker, muddle fresh basil in grappa, add the other ingredients with ice, and strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a green zebra grape tomato, an orange cherry tomato and a chunk of fresh mozzarella.

It's like an Italian V-8, but a lot better!

I suppose one could add a little pastis or something like that. I will have to experiment some more.