Martini
There are cocktails and then there are COCKTAILS. The martini belongs firmly in the second category. Ordering one is never neutral. It says something about your mood, your patience level, your tolerance for nonsense. It is a drink that assumes you know yourself (or are at least willing to pretend you do).
The martini’s origin story is as unclear as the drink itself. A popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called ‘the Martinez’ served sometime in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez, California. However it came to be, somewhere between the Gold Rush and the Jazz Age, the martini became less about refreshment and more about attitude. By the time it reached its mid-century peak, it was no longer just a cocktail. It was part of a uniform. Sharp suit, low light, cigarette, ice cold glass.
At its most honest, a martini is simple. Spirit, vermouth, cold. That’s it. Which brings us to the first and most emotionally charged question.
Gin or vodka?
Gin is the traditionalist’s choice. Botanical, aromatic, grown up. It tastes like something. Vodka is cleaner, quieter, more modern. It steps back and lets temperature and texture do the talking. Choosing vodka does not make you wrong. But choosing gin does give you the right to feel superior.
What does ‘dry’ mean?
By 1922, the martini reached its most recognizable form in which gin and vermouth are combined at a ratio of 2:1. Dry plays with that ratio and refers to the amount of vermouth added. A dry martini is made with a dash or only a hint of vermouth. Ordering a martini “extra dry” will result in even less or no vermouth added. Leaving you with, essentially, a glass of chilled gin.
“A perfect martini is prepared with gin straight from the freezer, a glance at a bottle of vermouth and a bow in the direction of France”.
Noel Coward
What makes it ‘dirty’?
Olive brine. That juice that surround the olives is the jar. Brine turns the martini from aloof to seductive. Salty, savory and sassy. A little brine adds depth. Ask for an ‘extra dirty’ and you’ll be drinking chilled seawater. The goal is intrigue, not chaos. One teaspoon per drink, adjusted to taste and bravery.
Garnish according to mood
Then there’s the garnish, which is not decoration but punctuation. Olives bring richness (and a little snack), cocktail onions create a Gibson, sharper, perfect with vodka. Lemon twist is the quiet intellectual of the group, brightening the drink without taking over, better with gin. Choose based on mood, not rules.
Bond was wrong
Shaken or stirred? Sorry Fleming fans, but the man was just wrong. Stirring is the move for elegance. It keeps the martini silky and clear, ideal for purists. Shaking makes it colder, slightly diluted, a little cloudy. Shaking is only acceptable if you like it brutally cold and are not seeking approval.
How to make it
The recipe, according with mythology, looks something like this:
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add 60 ml gin (or vodka). Add 30 ml dry vermouth (add more or less depending on your relationship with commitment). Stir gently for about 30 seconds until properly chilled. Strain and serve “straight up” (without ice) in a chilled martini glass. Add your garnish of choice. Drink faster than a glass of wine, slower than your impulses.
Variants
A perfect martini uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.
A 50-50 martini uses equal amounts of gin and vermouth.
An upside-down or reverse martini has more vermouth than gin.
A naked martini is prepared by storing the gin in a freezer and then pouring the gin directly into the serving glass with the vermouth instead of stirring it with ice first to avoid dilution.
They wish they were martinis
Not all ‘tinis’ are martinis, in spite of their names, an appletini, espresso martini, porn star martini… These are so named because they are served in a martini glass.
Much ado about ice
A martini is a simple cocktail, but it’s the personal ritual that turns it into an experience. The exact pour, the pause over the vermouth, the choice of olive or twist, the confidence of the hand stirring the ice. Two people can order the same drink and end up with entirely different moments in the glass. That’s the quiet power of the martini, as long as it’s stupidly cold, never apologize for how you take yours. The entire point of this drink is confidence, even if borrowed for the evening. One glass, very cold, perfectly yours. Cheers!
Martini
Ingredients
- 60 ml gin or vodka
- 30 ml dry vermouth (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp brine (dirtiness optional)
- 1 olives or lemon twist
Instructions
- Add gin and vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir gently for about 30 seconds until properly chilled.
- Add brine (optional) for a dirty variation.
- Strain and serve “straight up” (without ice) in a chilled martini glass.
- Add your olives or twist.