For a cocktail with only two ingredients, the Martini gets a lot of airtime. Churchill’s daily intake is well documented; Bond drinks it like water. Mad Men’s Roger Sterling pairs it with vodka, while Hemingway favors Montgomery. While these guys are very particular about their drink orders, the most common voice comes from Homer Simpson, who often requests “a full bottle.”
When Jerry Thomas published the first Martini recipe in his book The Bartender’s Guide in 1887, the spirit he used was gin. Gin is often considered to have more depth and appeal than vodka because of its blend of herbs and botanicals. That said, many people prefer vodka for its clean, refreshing, and smooth taste.
“Try both and see which you prefer,” advises Mia Johansson, co-owner of London’s award-winning bar Swift. “I drink them slightly differently, but they taste equally good. I drink the vodka dry and the gin wet.”
Don’t order vodka just to follow Bond. It’s a common misconception that he only drinks vodka martinis. In Ian Fleming’s novels, his character orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin. Which brings us to…
What’s in a Martini?
The classic Martini has become a drink that transcends bartending. Made with gin or vodka, plus one part vermouth and ice, it’s garnished with a lemon peel or an olive. With so few ingredients, it’s the ultimate test of a bartender’s skill and there’s no room for error.
How to Make a Martini: The Classic Recipe
raw material
60 ml gin or vodka
1 teaspoon absinthe
1 lemon peel or 3 olives
Uniformly sized ice cubes
method Place ice in a cocktail shaker and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a bar spoon in the same direction for 20 seconds. No more, no less. Strain the liquid into a chilled martini glass. If you feel the flavor is off, add a garnish of your choice and a little olive brine.
Shake or stir?
The classic Martini is stirred over ice for 20-30 seconds, then strained into a chilled martini glass. Stirring ensures that the drink is diluted evenly as the ice melts, and also makes it easier for the bartender to perform quality control. The ideal dilution for a Martini is about 20%. Shaking a Martini will chill it faster, but it is much more difficult to control the dilution. Shaking also involves adding small ice cubes to the drink – some people prefer this, but for many, it is simply sacrilege.
What makes a good martini?
While preferred mixology techniques vary, all bartenders agree on one thing: drinks have to be chilled. “You need quality ice, perfectly chilled glassware, high-quality spirits and proper mixology,” says Alex Lawrence, co-founder of Porter’s Gin and head of bar at Mr Lyan. “But most importantly, the drink has to be chilled to be enjoyable. We’re essentially talking about drinking a pure, clear spirit, so temperature and dilution are paramount.”
How do I order?
“Follow three simple steps: style, spirit, garnish,” Lawrence says. “For example: ‘dry, gin, a little spicy’ or ‘dirty, vodka, olives.’ Obviously, making sure to ask politely not only shows good manners, but also means the bartender is likely to care more about your drink.”
If you know the brand of spirit you want, even better. “It’s always more impressive if you know what kind of spirit you like,” says Balazs Nagy, head bartender at London’s premium cocktail bar Anthracite. “For example, ‘Can I have an extra dry Beluga vodka martini with olives, please?’ If you’re not sure about the brand or type that’s right for you, it’s best to describe your favorite flavor profile, such as classic, dry or spicy.”
What does dry, wet and dirty mean?
It’s all about the vermouth: “Dry means there’s a very low amount of vermouth, wet means there’s a lot of vermouth, dirty means we add a little bit of the olive’s brine to the drink, which makes the drink a little cloudy, or looks dirty,” says Alessandro Palazzi of Dukes Bar, which serves some of London’s best martinis.
The Best Gin for a Martini
Plymouth Gin
With it, you get lots of coriander, juniper, and citrus. It goes really well with a martini with a lemon slice.
Kim Marai
Olive brine is the best choice for a dirty martini. It has a rich rosemary flavor and a delicious, fresh taste.
Sipsmith VJOP
This is a great drink for a lighter style, with a strong juniper flavor. It has a complex and elegant floral aroma. Give this a try.
Bodos Gin
A classic English gin without any strong botanicals. If you’re serving a mix of standard and dirty martinis to friends, this is the drink to choose.
The Best Vodka for a Martini
Reyka Icelandic Vodka
The citrus notes here pair really well with the smooth, distinctive martinis.
New Amsterdam
A very good value pour that makes a martini as smooth as fresh silk and is very responsive at ultra low temperatures.
Grey Goose
Any bar that knows how to make a proper martini will almost certainly offer this drink. It goes great with olive brine or lemon.
Belvedere
Product placement or not, this vodka has been Bond’s go-to on his recent outings. It’s smooth and has a light herbal flavor, perfect for a dry martini.
Best Vermouths for Martinis
Neuilly Pratt Brut
Classic French vermouth, used in the original Martini recipe. Light, with a hint of spice, it lets the gin or vodka shine.
Americaball
Italian fortified wine made from the Italian Moscato d’Asti grape. Perfect for a martini, with light fruit notes as a base flavor and a bitter finish.
Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth
The cheapest on the market, it’s readily available and it’s really good. Infused with 35 botanicals unique to the Italian Alps, including marjoram and yarrow, it’s rich and perfect for a dirty martini.
Absinthe Regular Dry
This twist on traditional French absinthe is made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc grapes and Jacques, with 17 other botanicals. Pairs perfectly with vodka.
At what point is a martini no longer a martini?
Over the years, there have been many mixed martinis using super-sweet fruits, egg whites and other variations that are as synonymous with the real martini as a high street suit is with Savile Row. Avoid these at all costs.
The only exception to this rule is the Espresso Martini, invented by legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell while he was working at Fred’s Club in the late 1980s. Legend has it that Naomi Campbell came to me one night and asked for a drink to “sober me up and screw me up.” Bradsell’s response was a shot of iced espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and simple syrup. Be careful when drinking this. It’s never a good idea to have more than two.
