Celery-scented cocktail indulgence

Picture yourself on holiday and indulge yourself with Ester's refreshing celery-scented cocktail, made with your choice of either martini or gin. Ideal at any time of year, enjoy this cocktail ice cold.

Ingredients for 2 litres

• Martini Bianco or gin (whichever you prefer)

• The juice of 5 lemons

• A very thin, 3cm long strip of lemon zest

• 4 or 5 celery sticks, with the leaves removed

• 160g of granulated sugar

• Ice

• Water

Method

• Cut the celery sticks into pieces and put in a blender along with the lemon zest, sugar and lemon juice

• Blend until the celery is reduced to a pulp

• Pour into a carafe, passing it well through a sieve

• Add crushed ice and taste it

• Add a glass of Martini Bianco or gin and taste again

• Add more alcohol if you like (the sugar will increase the alcohol content of the drink) and dilute with water according to your taste

To serve

Serve in martini glasses decorated with a curl of lemon zest or celery leaves. An ideal accompaniment to dried dates, fried tuna meatballs, or croutons with caviar and raw oysters. Saluti!