The boy and his poison: The Matcha Green Martini

My plight against detox-guilt and the January blues continues unabated with the Matcha Martini. Sitting firmly in the 'have your cake and eat it' camp this cocktail manages to combine the flavour of an absinthe kissed vodka sour with the savoury depth of basil and the powdered super-food goodness of matcha green tea.

Matcha is by no means your average cuppa. It boosts the metabolism, can reduce cholestorol, and dwarfs the antioxidants found in blueberries, pomegranates, and oranges. Apparently its even good for stress so I couldn't think of a better ingredient for a January cocktail.

You can pick up a tin online or in your local Waitrose. Its not cheap but it will last you for a month or two and by all accounts after a week of bouncing around with all that energy you'll be hooked.

You'll Need:

• 50ml Vodka
• 25ml Lemon juice
• 1 generous teaspoon of caster sugar
• A dash of absinthe
• Half a teaspoon of Matcha Green Tea
• 3 Basil leaves

Then Shake:

• Add the vodka, lemon juice and absinthe to the shaker
• Gently introduce the sugar and give it a stir and a taste half way to make sure the flavour balance is right
• Then add your matcha green tea and dry shake (without ice) for ten seconds to melt the sugar
• Finally, tear your basil leaves into the shaker and add a handful of ice
• Shake again for ten seconds
• Strain into a martini glass