One of the most widely known and easiest to make, the Martini’s history has also been riddled with nomenclatural confusion and interfamilial strife. Often a misplaced Vodka bottle is inadvertently used in the mixer rather than her more appropriate sister, the Gin, in which case the result is not a Martini at all. But since a Gentleman knows a Martini by the distinct taste of his beloved flavor of Gin, he will of course ensure that the bartender does not make such a mistake.
A Classic Martini:
- 2.5 oz Gin
- .5 oz dry vermouth
- lemon twist
Steps:
Drop the .5 oz (or more, less, depending on your taste – more vermouth is a ‘wet’ martini whereas less is ‘dry’) into your cocktail glass and swirl so as to coat the inside. It is then your choice to leave the vermouth or toss it into the sink.
Pour your gin into a mixing glass with a few cubes of ice, stir (as not to bruise the gin). Strain cold into the cocktail glass and add your twist of lemon.
Variations*:
Leaving the vermouth in your glass (or more of it) with a dash of olive brine is a “dirty” martini, usually garnished with an olive rather than a lemon twist.
*A Vodka Martini is not a martini. It is a “vodka martini.”
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