VODKATINIS WITH BLUE CHEESE STUFFED OLIVES

Purests believe a martini is only made with gin and extra-dry white vermouth. This drink, made with vodka, is sometimes called a Vodkatini or a Kangaroo. I prefer it with blue cheese stuffed colossal olives and a twist of lemon. Buy a bottle of large or colossal olives stuffed with pimentos and remove the pimentos with a cocktail pick. Take a little bit of blue cheese and stuff into the olive holes. You can do this in advance and keep stuffed olives in the refrigerator until you are ready to make your cocktails.
A Gin and Tonic garnished with a cocktail pickled onion is known as a Gibson

2 martini glasses, placed in freezer for 1 hour

Ice cubes

6 oz good quality vodka

2 t dry white vermouth (Italian)

2 lemon twists (optional)

4 large (pimento stuffed colossal olives)

Blue cheese

In a cocktail shaker, fill ¾ full with ice cubes.

Add the vodka, vermouth, and lemon twists.

Secure the shaker with the top or an upside down beer glass and shake 50 times.

Using a strainer on top of the shaker, pour into 2 chilled martini glasses.

Garnish each with two blue cheese stuffed olives on a cocktail pick.

Makes 2 drinks