Churchill and Hemmingway loved the old fashioned gin martini, but as the twentieth century marched on the vodka martini grew in popularity. Then along came Mark Roselar and invented the apple martini, the race for new martini's had begun.

There are so many martini recipes to choose from, what are the most creative? I guess a lot of it has to do with personal taste. The movie Win a Date with Todd Hamilton featured one of my favourite martini's in it, the Chocolate Martini.

Chocolate Martini

6 parts vodka
1 part chocolate liqueur

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a chocolate curl.

In recent years the word retro when referring to fashion and music seems to mean the 1980s. This brings us to another drink, what drink screams the 1980s more than peach schnapps? People everywhere claimed not to like it and yet it was in so many cocktails of the era. It's only fitting that we have a "retro" drink that embraces the glamour of the 1980s and the drink of the decade. A martini has that glamour look and peach schnapps combined gives us the Fuzzy Martini.

Fuzzy Martini

4 parts vanilla flavoured vodka
1 part coffee flavoured vodka
1 tsp peach schnapps

Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a glass and garnish with a fresh peach slice.

The next martini that I think is worth mentioning is the very potent Gumdrop Martini. Drink more that one of these at your own peril!

Gumdrop Martini

4 parts lemon flavoued rum
2 parts vodka
1 part Southern Comfort
tsp dry vermouth
1 part fresh lemon juice
For garnishing a lemon slice and gumdrops

Rim a chilled martini glass with bar sugar. Combine all the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and then strain into the martini glass and garnish with the lemon slice and gumdrops.

With the different types of vodkas on offer the range of martinis available has never been greater. An unusual vodka is the bison grass vodka or Zubrowka, this vodka makes a great Elderflower Martini.

Elderflower Martini

2 shots Zubrowka
shot dry vermouth
1 shots elderflower cordial

Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass to serve.

Then of course there are a range of savoury martinis such as the Garlic Martini and the Hot & Dirty Martini.

Hot & Dirty Martini

2 shots pepper vodka
shot dry vermouth
shot olive brine

Shake all of the ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass to serve.

Another nice martini, if you like rum, is the Rum Martini and you can find the recipe for this at www.squidoo.com/pqrs_of_cockta ils If you like scotch then you can turn the traditional (gin) dry martini into a Paisley Martini by adding 1 tsp of scotch. Tequila lovers should check out www.squidoo.com/tuv_of_cocktai ls for a Tequini or a Tequila Martini.

Whatever your taste buds desire there is sure to be a martini to suit.

Learn more about this author, Louanne Cox.
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