Martinis - a Family Event

My son has a new obsession: martinis.

Since he was born, he has watched my dad make them, shake them, and enjoy them. When he was about 18 months, he insisted he wanted one. Being the Montessorians that we are, we honoured his desire to be a part of the family, and gave him, in his own little cup, water with a grape in it. Well, that was the biggest thrill.

It has been a while since we had the pleasure of sharing these lovely drinks, and we had all, I thought, put it out of our minds. Out of the blue the other day, he declared that he wants to help my Dad make martinis, and that his will be made of sprite! Ok, it was adorable. What a great way of sneaking pop onto the dinner table.

My Dad agreed, and the next day, it was such a treat. First, Dad makes a seriously mean martini. Second, the "conviviencia" (literally translated as co-living?!?) - the sharing of the experience of these two was amazingly beautiful. So much so that I wanted to share it here.

It all starts with the ice - cracking the tray, jumbling the cubes into the shaker... waiting and watching as it clouds over, until it's too cold to touch. Then the pouring can begin - exact amounts are poured from a bottle which is kept, out of respect for the gin, in the freezer. A drop or two of vermouth, and then the shaking can begin. What is for my father an almost sacred ritual is for my son a ton of fun - especially the shaking part. Of course, the part of the ritual that requires the most concentration is the pouring into the glass, and then carrying the glass to the table. Don't want to spill a drop!

These two share a gazillion experiences. This was another beautiful moment shared between these two special men/boys, and it made me happy. Not just because of the gin and olives, you understand, although that was a rare and beautiful treat. It was just so fun to see my son acting all grown up, with his sprite in a martini glass, garnished with olives. He swore it was good that way, but I don't think I'll be trying it any time soon. And at the same time to watch my Dad enjoy passing on his love of details and meticulous ways of doing things. So very very cool.