For the past couple months, I have been playing around with Mutiny Island Breadfruit Vodka. It’s a great product and it’s been fun trying the various expressions and coming up with new cocktails. I started with The Puerto Rican Coffee to make an Espresso Martini, otherwise known as a Mutiny Pick Me Up. Then I made the Mutiny Island Mary, using the Smoked Hot Pepper then an Island Mule using the Roots Vodka and after trying a few more I decided that a Cajun Martini would be the best to pair with a Sardine Appetizer, which I was tasked to create for this feature on tin fish. Finding the right sardine and complimentary ingredients to pair with the cock- tails involved experimenting, and I can tell you that not all sardines are created equal. In 2018, on a trip to Portugal, I discovered how truly fabulous sardines can be. The Portuguese have a long history of producing some of the best canned fish in the world. I tried various types – in lemon, tomato, tomato hot sauce, etc. I found the Bela Sardines in Olive Oil to be the best for the price. Whatever brand you choose, be sure to buy sardines in olive oil and not water as it really does make a difference to the taste. Also, save the oil to drizzle on top.

– Charmaine Lord