Friday Night Cocktail: Here's A Kick-Start For The Long Weekend! Licorice All-sorts Martini

I have loved licorice since I was a kid, especially black licorice. If fact, my favourite were those chewy black pipes adorned with those tiny red candy sprinkles that were supposed to look like it was actually burning - kind of a twisted idea for kid's candy, maybe...?

Black licorice and tiger tail ice cream were up there to top my list as well as licorice allsorts, which added to the dimension of that deep licorice flavour, with coconut and orange, strawberry and vanilla. I once could eat a whole bag of those candies in one sitting, if left to my devices, but over time I  found some great substitutes for licorice candy in clear and black Sambuca - an Italian Anise liqueur, Pernod or Pastis - its French cousin, even Greek Ouzo, which is much less sweet.
But even today, that smoky licorice flavour combined with its chewy texture has stuck with me as an occasional go-to treat. I haven't eaten licorice allsorts in an eon, maybe its the onset of the Long Weekend that has brought back nostalgic memories of walks to the corner store to buy penny candy, that today I craved licorice...so here is a really cool Retro Drink to kick-Start your Long Weekend!

Licorice All-sorts Martini:
Ingredients:
1 ounce vanilla vodka
1 ounce Malibu rum
1 ounce Pernod
3 ounces orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well and strain into chilled Martini Glass.

Have a Happy, Safe May Long-Weekend!