Like your coastal gins?  Like your seafood? And tinned fish?

But enough to build yourself and finish a Dirty Sardini?

Mermaid Gin, based at the Isle of Wight Distillery, Ryde, has collaborated with TV chef Gizzi Erskine to create the ultimate Omega-3 forward cocktail.

Erskine and cocktail specialist Joe Brayford fat-washed Mermaid Gin with sardine oil to add  ‘subtle savoury depth, silky texture and coastal character’ to Mermaid Gin’s citrus and botanical notes. The gin is paired with dry vermouth and preserved-lemon brine, and finished with a sardine-stuffed Gilda garnish.

Says Erskine : “It captures so many of the flavours people are gravitating towards right now – savoury, salty and fresh – while still feeling elegant, modern and easy to recreate at home.”

Research conducted by Mermaid Gin discovered that one in five Brits (21%) are keen to explore savoury and salty flavours in their glass, while almost two-thirds (62%) are tempted by drinks inspired by the great outdoors.

Sardine simply continues the  rock samphire, seaweed and wild coastal herbs conversations.

Brayford adds: nsumers are increasingly looking for complexity, texture and a stronger connection to ingredients, rather than simply sweetness, and that’s driving interest in flavours that feel more nuanced, layered and reflective of where they come from.

“In the same way wine has terroir, there’s a growing fascination with ‘merroir’ – the influence of the coast on flavour. The crossover between Martinis and tinned fish felt natural because both are experiences defined as much by texture as flavour.”

“Mermaid Gin was the perfect starting point, with its bright citrus, juniper and coastal botanicals already bringing maritime character to the glass.

“By building on those saline, oceanic notes with subtle savoury touches, we’ve created a Martini that feels contemporary while staying true to the simplicity and elegance that make the drink such an enduring classic.”

  • 200ml Mermaid Gin
  • 30ml Olive oil from a tin of sardines
  • 60ml Sardine oil-washed Mermaid Gin
  • 20ml Dry vermouth
  • 1 bar spoon (3ml-5ml) preserved lemon brine
  • Rock samphire sprig
  • Skewered olives stuffed with sardine
  • Guindilla chilli
  • Sliver of preserved lemon peel

Method

For the coldest serve, place your Martini glass in the freezer overnight before making the cocktail. A properly frozen glass helps maintain the Martini’s texture and temperature from first sip to last.

Prepare the sardine oil-washed gin. Combine the gin and sardine-infused olive oil in a container and mix briefly.

Place in the freezer for approximately two hours, until the oil has solidified.

Strain through a coffee filter or muslin cloth to remove the fat. The resulting spirit is your sardine oil-washed gin.

Add 60ml of the oil-washed gin, the dry vermouth, preserved lemon brine, and the rock samphire to a mixing glass filled with ice.

Stir until thoroughly chilled and diluted.

Fine strain into the frozen Martini glass.

Garnish with a skewer of olive stuffed with sardine, guindilla chilli, and a sliver of preserved lemon peel.