Flat White Martini, A (Belated) Tribute To A Legend
The master at work…
Richard Arthur ‘Dick’ Bradsell was so much more than a bartender. Not only was he known for his inventive work with cocktails but also as a talented writer. Described as the ‘cocktail king’ by The Observer, while The San Francisco Chronicle stated that he ‘single-handedly changed the face of the London cocktails scene in the 1980s.’ He even turned his hand to acting, playing a gangster in Christopher Nolan’s film Following.
When we heard the news that he had died from brain cancer (on 27 February 2016) we, probably like many, decided to attempt to make one of his cocktails as a tribute. And the first cocktail that instantly sprang to mind was his Espresso Martini. It was reported that Bradsell could rarely enter a bar without an enthusiastic bartender thrusting his version of the drink at him.
Legend has it that when working at the infamous Fred’s Bar, in Soho in the eighties, a rather well-known super-model came into the bar and asked Bradsell to mix her a drink that would ‘wake me up, and then f*** me up.’
We were very, very late to the Espresso Martini party only sampling our first one four years ago at Trullo in Islington, but from that first sip, I was hooked. Before we bought our decent coffee machine I’ve even been known to pop out to the local coffee shop to get a couple of shots of espresso so I could make one to drink from the comfort of my own sofa.
Our humble effort
So as a little tribute to the great man I decided to make a Baileys Flat White Martini, a simple yet delicious variation. This new kid on the block is what we fell in love with at Forest on the roof at Selfridges. This is what you need to make one for yourself…
Baileys Flat White Martini
INGREDIENTS
50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream
25ml Espresso
10ml Milk
Ice cubes
TO FINISH
3 coffee beans
METHOD
1) Pop some ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and pour in the Baileys.
2) Add the espresso and milk.
3) Shake it up until everything is perfectly blended and the liquid is silky smooth.
4) Strain into a cocktail glass, finish by gently placing three coffee beans on the top of the cocktail.
That’s it… So simple yet so brilliant. We really hope you enjoy this Flat White Martini.
We thought we’d leave you with a couple of quotes by Dick Bradsell himself…
‘A good margarita should send you howling into the night.’
I don’t know where that idea about girly drinks came from. I mean, look at Dorothy Parker. She wasn’t ordering Piña Coladas.’
We’ll raise a glass to that!
