A friend once asked me about vermouth and making martinis. A basic request turned into a rather long rant, and you’ll find most of that here. I really like a well-made martini. Notice I emphasized the words “well-made”. There’s a lot of conflicting information surrounding what is really a pretty simple drink. Here’s my very opinionated view of what it takes to make a great martini, as opposed to just another cocktail. Keep in mind, I don’t share these secrets with just anyone. Only people with Internet connections.
Classic Martini
The classic martini calls for two or three parts gin to one part vermouth. I’m personally not much of a fan of this recipe. Mainly because I prefer vodka, and I like it dry.
Vodka
You’ve got to start with good ingredients. That means a premium vodka. I know what you’re thinking. I’m paying for advertising with models and a fancy bottle. You’re right that you can’t make a purchase based on price and looks alone. Some of the slick bottles do contain crappy vodka. However, in most cases the premium brands will deliver a premo taste. If you want to save money, wait until you’re making screwdrivers.
Dry Martini
“Dry” refers to a couple things. The type of vermouth (e.g. dry vs. sweet) and the amount that you use. Keep in mind that vermouth is an enhancer. Not an ingredient. The dryer the martini, the less vermouth you use. For dry, try a ratio of five to one. An extra-dry martini is anywhere from eight to fifteen parts vodka to one part vermouth.
Whisper Martini
If someone wants a super-duper-extra-dry martini, they might ask for a “whisper of vermouth.” Pour them a glass of vodka and they’ll whisper the word “vermouth” over it. Other people may merely wave the top of an open vermouth bottle over the shaker. That’s not quite dry, I think it’s called vodka straight.
Side note — Some people keep their vermouth in an atomizer to spray a light coating directly on the glass. They’ve just wasted one more opportunity to shake.
Shaken vs. Stirred
Some people will say to stir clear drinks, and shake the dark ones. I’m not on board with this one. For one thing, you’ll miss what is probably your only opportunity to play Bond, James Bond, and order “Shaken, not stirred”. Also, something about a stirred martini just doesn’t seem right to me. This is the one and only moment where you have a chance to combine the ingredients, and stirring just doesn’t provide as good of contact with vermouth covered ice. It also lacks the flair and satisfying crack-crack sound of shaking.
Cold
Martinis must be as cold as possible. The trick is don’t let the ice melt and water-down your drink. You’ll get the best results if you chill your glass, shaker and vodka in the freezer beforehand (vermouth is best kept at room temperature). Worst case, put some ice in a glass to chill it while preparing the ingredients. Dump the ice from the glass just before pouring in the drink. Remember that ice is an important part of this recipe. It doesn’t just make the drink cold but it helps combine the vodka and vermouth. Use fresh, clean ice. When you make a martini, serve it right away. Old martinis have melted ice and a diluted taste.
The Glass
You really don’t have a choice here. If you don’t put it in a cocktail (aka martini) glass, it’s not a martini. You want the glass with an inverted cone design and a long stem.
Attitude
There are really only a couple reasons to drink martinis:
- Get away with being a lush. If I were to drink vodka shots, you’d say I’m a college kid looking to get drunk. Put essentially that same drink in a shapely glass, throw in a touch of attitude, and all the sudden I’m sophisticated.
- Attract attention. Martini’s are also about style. Shake and you attract attention. Make no mistake. I’m a cool cat enjoying my hip cocktail. Could I enjoy one by myself in an empty room? Sure, but it’s only half the fun.
Olives
Martinis are garnished with olives. Preferably two on a spear of some sort. Without olives, it just doesn’t look like a Martini. Add something else, say onions, and you’ll end up with a different drink. Gibson’s have onions.
Perfect Martini
All that said, here’s how I like my martinis. Personally I prefer a VERY dry Martini.
- Add a shot of Noilly Prat (Dry Vermouth) to your shaker. Give it a few seconds to coat the ice.
- Strain out the vermouth (keep the ice).
- Add your vodka. Pretty bottle or not, I prefer Reyka, but it’s not available everywhere. Pearl, Grey Goose, or Belvedere are pretty darn good too. No flavored stuff here.
- Shake vigorously. Yes, there is a right way to shake.
- Garnish with two olives on a little plastic sword.
- Serve.
- If this martini is for you, don’t eat the olives. Offer them to a sexy friend and watch her eat them.
Health Note
According to the British Medical Journal, 007’s superb athleticism may lie in his beverage of choice: the martini. Researchers have concluded that moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks — and especially martinis — may reduce not only the threat of cardiovascular disease but of stroke and cataracts as well. And Bond, who likes his martini shaken, not stirred, is right on that count, too. The authors concluded that shaken martinis have a superior antioxidant activity to those which are merely stirred.