John Leonardi is chef/owner of Soupçon, a fine dining restaurant in Crested Butte, CO.
Soupçon is known for its French-leaning fine dining menu, and I’m intentional about using as much of our inventory as possible. With a luxurious caviar service already on the menu, I set out to find additional ways to highlight the ingredient, leading to the creation of the now-signature Caviar Martini.
I like to think of this cocktail as the amuse-bouche of Martinis. The Castelvetrano olives are so buttery and briny, topped with a generous amount of caviar, it jumpstarts the palate.
The Martini is crafted with Grey Goose vodka and Noilly Prat dry vermouth, then finished with Kaluga caviar topped Castelvetrano olives. We prefer to use Kaluga because of the farm-raised sustainability and mild, buttery flavor profile.
It’s a smart way to stretch the caviar, have some fun with it and give guests something a little over-the-top to kick things off; the classic pairing of vodka and caviar is always a lovely choice as well. What’s a better way to start an evening of excellence than with a Caviar Martini?
Caviar Martini
Ingredients
- 3 oz. Grey Goose vodka
- A whisper of Noilly Prat dry vermouth
Instructions
- Combine ingredients and shake hard.
- Strain into a chilled Martini glass
- Garnish with three Castelvetrano olives filled with Kaluga caviar.
