Treat your partner to some of our romantic cocktail ideas and recipes for this Valentines day (February 14th).

What a huge subject to try and cover! The Martini cocktail – how can you define such a classic? So much has been written about the Martini - how it came about, whether it should be made from gin or vodka, should it be wet or dry, what to garnish it with (or not!), whether it should be stirred or shaken … the list goes on and on … To answer many of these FAQs why not revisit our previous feature devoted to this very subject where we have tried to reveal some of the mysteries surrounding this most widely debated cocktail topic - click here.

If you take the purist point of view – to be a Martini cocktail, the recipe should include either gin or vodka and dry vermouth (the most respected barmen always insist on Noilly Prat Dry. Though as attitudes and tastes change, speaking with the bartenders and mixologists in the know, a Martini cocktail is more likely to be defined these days as a cocktail that consists of either gin or vodka and served in a “V” shaped cocktail glass(now more usually referred to as a Martini glass).

As we are constantly re-discovering during our quest for recipes to add to our selection on in-the-spirit, there is no right answer to exactly what ingredients should be included or in what proportions. Everyone has different tastes. With that in mind we have chosen a varied selection of Martini inspired cocktail recipes which include a range of flavours and colours.

First of all we suggest a Classic Martini cocktail. Made with one shot each of Noilly Prat Dry (essential!) and premium dry gin, the Classic Martini is made by shaking the ingredients together and straining into a Martini glass – whereas the Dry Martini which uses half a shot of Noilly Prat Dry, 2 shots of premium gin and is stirred together before serving. You will be amazed at the difference such seemingly slight changes in a recipe will make to the flavour of your cocktail. This is the ultimate in chic cocktails for the style conscious.

This is an unusual cocktail idea and sounds quite bizarre but it really works! The base spirit ingredient here is vodka (2 shots), the flavours and colour coming from Warninks Advocaat (1 shot), Stolichnaya Vanilla vodka (half a shot) plus half a shot of bourbon and a bar spoon of sugar syrup. If you like custard, you’ll love this!

An inspiration taken from the traditional Kir cocktail combined with a Dry Martini recipe. Made from traditional martini cocktail ingredients of premium dry gin and Noilly Prat Dry vermouth, the difference here is the addition of De Kuyper Crème de Cassis which provides the lush blackcurranty flavour and deep berry colour.

This is a delicious cocktail ideal for transporting you and your imagination away to a sun-kissed beach for a tropical holiday. For this you need premium dry gin, De Kuyper Blue Curaçao and just a bar spoon’s worth of Peach Schnapps. The result is an exotic blue cocktail with the essence of tropical fruit.

A real treat for strawberry fans! Made with vodka, De Kuyper Crème de Cassis, lime juice, caster sugar and fresh strawberries, this is a cocktail to die for!

We hope you enjoy trying out our “Martini inspired” cocktail recipes – both the classics and the more contemporary ones. Keep in-the-spirit!

Always remember: in-the-spirit recommends enjoying all cocktail recipes listed in moderation.