When I arrived at Martuni's I was a wreck. My right contact was askew and causing tears to leak in a steady stream down my face. It was hot out and my summer dress was soaked in sweat. I was the picture of a person who needed a drink.
Martuni's has a full menu of martinis, from traditional to sickly sweet, but the one I ordered isn't on it. It's called a Dam Good Martini, after the gin it's made with, Damrak. I'm a sucker for puns, especially if they're attached to booze.
The drink was invented by bartender Alicia Walton for a contest hosted by Damrak in which she was one of five finalists who got a trip to Amsterdam out of the deal. The other two ingredients in the Dam Good Martini are St. Germain and muddled cucumber.
The drink is simple and refreshing and packs a wallop. Martuni's martinis come in bucket sized glasses and I dumped two of these down my throat and found myself fairly sloshed. Also, the beverage comes with a twist of lemon peel suitable for accessorizing. What more could you ask for? Oh, maybe a bowl of Cheezits. They have them behind the bar and nothing goes better with a fancy drink then chemically flavored, unnaturally orange crackers.
--Andy Wright
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