Bamboo's Clementine Martini

By Douglas Harrington

Bamboo Restaurant in East Hampton offers free sushi at the bar and half-priced “Saketinis” (Sake Martinis) on Thursdays. Photos by Douglas Harrington

East Hampton - A local East End favorite, particularly on Thursdays when Happy Hour consists of free sushi at the bar and half-priced "Saketinis" (Sake Martinis), a cocktail from Bamboo of East Hampton is featured in this installment of our Mixology series. I left it up bartender Jessie Mikan to determine the cocktail and gratefully, as I don't like rice wine, it was their vodka based Clementine Martini.

Bartender Jessie Mikan shakes up a Bamboo Clementine Martini.

As she described it, "This is probably one of our more popular winter drinks. It is all natural and great if you are getting a winter cold. It is called a Clementine Martini. It is basically a East Hampton version of a vodka and orange juice. It is very simple, to a cocktail shaker add 3 oz. of Clementine vodka, I think the best brand is Svedka as I think it is organic and naturally infused. Then 1 oz. of a top-shelf, non-flavored vodka like Grey Goose, and add a splash of sugar and when I say a splash I mean literally a splash. Cut a large, pit-less orange in half and take a fork and scrap the meat out of the inside of each half into the shaker. It is best to leave the oranges out of the refrigerator overnight so they become soft. Add ice to the shaker and then cover and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a thin slice of orange. You can also pour the contents into a hi-ball glass with the ice and add a splash of club soda on top."

I don't feel a cold coming on, but if I did I would prefer this cocktail over chicken soup. The Bamboo Clementine Martini is clean, fresh and, at least according to Mikan, very good for you.

Ingredients
• 3 oz. Svedka Clementine Vodka
• 1 oz. Grey Goose or other non-flavored top-shelf vodka
• 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• The meat of 1 large, pit-less orange