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How to Mix the Perfect Martini

By zaxus in Op-Ed
Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 02:21:34 PM EST
Tags: Food (all tags) 		Food

The perfect Martini is an elusive beast, no doubt. But it's simpler than you may think. Read on...

The trick to the perfect Martini lies in the vermouth. More specifically, it's the LACK of vermouth. Here's the skinny:

Hardware:
Shaker (preferably metal, although plastic will work too)
Large Martini Glass
Refrigerator (seems obvious, I know, but it's important)
Olive Spear

Software:
6 oz Gin or Vodka
A splash of Dry Vermouth
Olives (1 to 3 is traditional) or Lemon Peel
Ice (cubes will work, crushed is better)

Ahead of Time:
Start by refrigerating your vermouth for the amount of time it takes for the bottle to get cold (at least an hour). I'll explain why in a bit. Chill a Martini glass in the refrigerator or the freezer for about 10 minutes. You can go for less time, but I like my Martinis at the lowest possible temperature.

The Mixing:
Take the glass out of the fridge/freezer and pour a small amount of Vermouth into it. Here's the important bit: swirl the vermouth in the glass so that the sides of the glass are coated. DISCARD THE REMAINING VERMOUTH. Spear an olive or two, and put it in the glass. Pour your gin or vodka (gin is better) into a shaker over copious amounts of ice. Shake the living crap out of it. Seriously, shake it like a revival preacher shaking the devil out of a sinner. Strain into the glass, and you're good to go.

Technically you're supposed to eat the olives first, but I won't tell if you don't.

Some Explanation
The reason for refrigerating your vermouth is so that you don't warm your glass when you swirl with it. I know it seems like a waste of good alcohol to toss the vermouth remaining in the glass, but trust me, it makes the end result so much better, that it's well worth it. I suppose you could save it, since it's barely even touched the glass, but that just sounds strange to me.

Also, the reason crushed ice is better than cubes is that the surface are of the crushed ice is significantly greater than that of the cubes (like a heatsink in reverse). Greater surface area equals greater cooling power.

Variation
Now, having said all that, my person favorite variation is to replace the olives with a lemon twist. Take a small twist of lemon rind, rub it around the edge of the glass, throw it in, and pour the gin over that.

Brands
Not to start a flame war, but here are my favorite brands of spirits for use in martinis. I prefer Beefeater gin to all others. As for vodka, Skyy is my personal favorite, as I find Absolut has too much bite for my taste. Haven't gotten around to buying/trying Grey Goose (although I hear it's excellent). I use Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth.

Man, I need a martini.

Feel free to post your favorite variations and/or recipes in the comments.

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Poll
Perfect Martini:
o Gin 33%
o Vodka 25%
o The "Vesper" 4%
o Chocolate Martini 6%
o Sour Apple Martini 6%
o CowboyNeal - shaken, not stirred 24%

Votes: 98
Results | Other Polls

Related Links
o Also by zaxus

Display: Sort:
How to Mix the Perfect Martini | 200 comments (161 topical, 39 editorial, 0 hidden)
-1, Obvious :::peniz:::Q (1.22 / 9) (#1)
by peniz Q on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 12:32:44 AM EST

So you're basically announcing that you're a master logician. I'm a very proud person too, but I don't flaunt my abilities.

I'm not saying that deducing the need for a LACK of vermouth was not an important accomplishment. I'm just saying that there's no need to write a story about it.

Dangerous content.

True Martini Story (4.50 / 4) (#12)
by egg troll on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 01:49:51 AM EST

So a friend of mine named Tim and I are sitting at a bar. My friend had ordered a martini. When the waitress brings it, Tim is alarmed to discover there is crushed-fucking-ice in it! When we point this out to the waitress, she replies, "You didn't say you didn't want it not on the rocks."

He's a bondage fan, a gastronome, a sensualist
Unparalleled for sinister lasciviousness.

Ah, the "elegant" drink (4.57 / 14) (#16)
by stormie on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 02:17:51 AM EST

I've never understood how the martini got a reputation for elegance. Let's face it: a martini is basically a glass of neat gin (oh, OK, with an olive in it), and drinking a glass of neat gin doesn't make you look elegant - it makes you look like a drunken housewife. It's only a short step from drinking martinis to hitting the cooking sherry and the 4 litre casks of fruity dyslexia.

What is this crap? (1.83 / 12) (#17)
by jjayson on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 02:22:23 AM EST

It's like 3 fucking sentences of useful information. It is almost contentless. All the lushes come out in drove to vote this drivel up though.
--
This space for rent.
How to mix the perfect best super awesome martini: (4.53 / 13) (#18)
by MMcP on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 02:26:34 AM EST

1) Get bottle of gin
2) :::most important step::: uncap bottle
3) Make contents of bottle go into stomach
4) Watch room spin

seriously, I am getting sick of the whole techie phenomenon of demanding we complicate our lives and make ourselves neurotic with endless numerical steps, instead of having fun and getting drunk.

"OH NOES HE IS DRINKING HIS MARTNIN WRONG I AM SO MUCH BETTER THEN HE IS BECAUSE I FOLLOWED THE STEPS!!!1!"

Here is an even quicker way to do it:

1) Go to nice bar
2) Give the nice man money for a martini
3) Get drunk

This one is nicer.. (4.00 / 2) (#23)
by ras on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 03:45:30 AM EST

Take a glass - fill it with ice, set it aside.

Fill a shaker with ice.
Add a shot of vermouth to the shaker.
Swirl it around for a few seconds.
Empty the shaker - but leave the ice!!
Add two shots of gin (Tanqueray or Bombay)
Swirl again.
Empty the glass of ice...and dump the contents of the shaker into the glass.

Serve with a lemon twist (or olive).

Obligatory Churchill quotation (5.00 / 7) (#26)
by edo on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 04:31:52 AM EST

Winston Churchill's recipe for the perfect Martini: "Glance at the vermouth bottle briefly while pouring the juniper distillate freely."

Alternatively, wave an unopened bottle of vermouth over the shaker.

(Sorry for the repost; should have been topical.)
-- 
Sentimentality is merely the Bank Holiday of cynicism.
 - Oscar Wilde

Stirred martinis are stronger (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by SiMac on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 04:32:20 AM EST

Shaking bruises the ice, thus making the martini weaker. I dunno why James Bond likes his martinis weak, but he does.

Then again, I've never had a real martini.

damn (4.66 / 6) (#32)
by martingale on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 06:16:46 AM EST

I just realized they probably didn't have a fridge in the MASH swamp. Poor hawkeye and the gang :-(.

I have a question (5.00 / 2) (#33)
by Talez on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 06:28:41 AM EST

Whats a dry martini?

Si in Googlis non est, ergo non est
Head is spinning (4.00 / 3) (#34)
by fraise on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 07:21:28 AM EST

I am somewhat confused. Disclaimer: being American, I couldn't legally go to bars until age 21, and I turned 21 while in France, so everything I know about alcohol - apart from the wine we occasionally drank at home - I learned in France.

When you ask for a "Martini" here, you're given a glass of Martini (warning: Flash and music), usually you specify whether you want bianco or rosso (white or red). It's served on the rocks with a lemon wedge. What you describe sounds a like a Gibson with an olive, which you can find on the Martini site under "drinks". (Martini & Rossi is the same company, by the way.)

There are different brands of vermouth, but when you want one of those you ask for "vermouth". Martini always means Martini brand vermouth here. (Even phoned my boyfriend - he's French - and his cohorts to make sure I'm not imagining things. They've never heard of a Gibson-like drink being called a Martini.)

Small question: What does.... (none / 0) (#35)
by Gornauth on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 07:45:24 AM EST

....[i]Strain into the glass[/i] mean? Is it something different then pouring?

Beefeaters. (5.00 / 1) (#37)
by blixco on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 07:49:31 AM EST

Damn fine gin, probably the only gin suitable for a martini. I've found, though, that once I got beyond the trendoid "just say the word vermouth over the glass" dry martinis, that the use of a good vermouth (Noilly Prat is the only good vermouth) in relatively small amounts (.25 to .5 oz per martini) made the entire drink much more palatable, much more food friendly, and much less annoying to create.
-------------------------------------------
The root of the problem has been isolated.
Salt in your martini (4.00 / 1) (#38)
by IHCOYC on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 08:04:58 AM EST

Remember that gin, like tequila, is a vegetable.

The most important thing about the olive(s) is to get a little bit of brine in the drink. Myself, I recommend capers, or the green olives with garlic cloves.

You can also do the margarita thing, and dip your frosted glass into pickle salt. You want a bit less salt on a martini glass than you do on a margarita, but having a little there adds something.
 --
Quod sequitur, sicut serica lucis albissima tingere rogant;
Quod sequitur, totum devorabit.

Gin (none / 0) (#43)
by ChiefHoser on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 09:18:30 AM EST

Beefeater is a good gin, one of the best. If I have the money I usually try and get Tanqueray No. 10 (I think that is what it is called) I just tastes that much better that the extra cost is usually worth it.
-------------

Chief of the Hosers
Gin, Vodka,etc... (none / 0) (#58)
by Metatone on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 10:43:58 AM EST

Personally I've always found Tanqueray Ten makes a nice martini, and (probably in a minority of one here) Finlandia for Vodka martinis...

Normally though, I'm not in the mood for classic martinis and prefer a Vodka gimlet, but real lime juice (rather than icky sweet cordial) is a *must* to give it the refreshing touch.

Martinis are bullshit. (3.80 / 5) (#59)
by HypoLuxa on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 11:23:02 AM EST

Right up there with cigar bars and cobalt blue dress shirts. 1999 lifestyle marketing.

2k3 is all about Zombies and weed.

--
I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons.
- Leonard Cohen

Favorite M*A*S*H quote (5.00 / 8) (#68)
by regeya on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 12:28:15 PM EST

I'd like a dry martini, Mr. Quoc, a very dry martini. A very dry, arrid, barren, desiccated, veritable dustbowel of a martini. I want a martini that could be declared a disaster area. Mix me just such a martini. -- Hawkeye

[ yokelpunk | kuro5hin diary ]

How about a drop of vermouth? (5.00 / 1) (#77)
by rujith on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 01:37:57 PM EST

It seems that people make a big deal about having just a hint of vermouth in the martini. The lesser, the better, apparently. In that case, why not just put a single drop of vermouth in the bottom of the glass, before pouring in the gin? - Rujith.

that's really not the same thing (4.80 / 5) (#79)
by Delirium on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 01:45:24 PM EST

A martini is a mixture of gin and vermouth. The amount can vary, but there should be a significant quantity of vermouth in there in order to qualify as a "mixture". What you're describing sounds a lot more like "gin in a martini glass, with an olive," and I doubt the tiny bit of vermouth coating the glass makes any more than a psychological difference.

And I'm not sure how the vodka fits into this. Vodka in a martini glass isn't a martini either, even if it has an olive.

Not that there's anything wrong with gin and ice, but it's something different than a martini.

Bobo-Chichi Preferences from an ex-bartender (5.00 / 9) (#80)
by LairBob on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 01:46:31 PM EST

Vermouth: Noilly Prat Dry...much better than M&R, IMNSHO

Vodka: Luksosowa...distilled from potatoes, really nice clean, flavor, and dirt cheap compared to the Ketel One/Belvedere/Grey Gooses of the world. Much better in a Martini than Absolut or Stoli, I think. (Stoli is the best vodka in the world for straight shots, though, since keeping your head still after you down a shot of Stoli is the true separation test of mice from men. Martinis shouldn't make your head shake and your chin tuck into your chest--it's just not dignified.)

Gin: Beefeater...once again, the best choice is definitely not the most expensive one

Garnish: Tiny cocktail onion, or a lemon peel

Icing Technique: Shaken will get it much colder, but crushed ice is a two-edged sword--for every thermodynamic unit your martini gets colder, the ice gets warmer, and you end up with a noticeably diluted drink.

Vermouth Technique: "In and out", either in the glass, or over the ice. (When I was a high-school teacher, the headmaster of the school was a minister, and a martini fanatic. His preferred technique was called a "Bless You" martini, where you just wave the bottle of vermouth over the glass.)


One broader, more sober (if you will), point:
Again, drawing from my bartending background, I've got to admit that the cynics on this thread are right--I love 'em, but the classic American martini really is just a well-refined technique to pound alcohol, as civilly as possible, but as quickly as possible. The vermouth--even just a little bit--takes the edge off, so you can drink it without the head-quivering grimace you would have if you were drinking straight out of the bottle.

Nevertheless, you are practically drinking alcohol straight out of the bottle, and your body metabolizes the alcohol much differently than it does a beer or a glass of wine. It is scarily easy to overdo it with martinis, in a single night, or over a long period of time. No matter how impressed you are with your own tolerance, you are not fit to drive for a good chunk of time after you've had just one of these delicious drinks, and if you have 2 or 3 a night, that's not the same as "just having a couple of beers". Just be careful.

CowboyNeal (4.00 / 1) (#86)
by Silent Chris on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 04:06:01 PM EST

Who's he?  (Watch as dozens come to rectify my apparent stupidity).

Applespank's martini recipe (4.75 / 4) (#88)
by applespank on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 05:23:56 PM EST

Put bottle of gin in freezer until it's cold, but not stupidly cold (if it has the consistency of corn syrup, it's stupidly cold).

Get a shot glass.

Pour cold gin into shot glass.

Drink gin from shot glass.

Repeat last two steps as necessary, maybe eating an olive once in a while.

That's as much of a "martini" as the recipe above.

No vodka, thank you (5.00 / 3) (#90)
by blacksqr on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 05:57:57 PM EST

Merely suggesting that a Martini be made with vodka erases your credibility on this topic.  The Martini is a gin drink.  Serving a vodka drink in a Martini glass does not make it a Martini, marketing hype notwithstanding.

The secret to a properly-made Martini is that it must be served very cold, thus producing an aesthetically-pleasing cascade of sensations, starting with the pure cold, followed by the bite of the gin, rounded out by the mellow glow of the vermouth.

The purpose of a Martini, like all good cocktails, is to introduce the drinker to a short-lived, ephemeral world in which he is invited to savor the moment.  The Martini should be served so cold that tiny ice slivers are formed on the surface, not only for the flavor sensation, but to introduce the proper note of ephemerality.

Thus the Martini is properly shaken, not stirred.  Stirred Martinis are prepared in pitchers and consumed by old ladies who want to get drunk on gin in the name of having their afternoon cocktail.

The Martini CONTAINS VERMOUTH.  If your Martini doesn't contain vermouth, it's not a Martini and you're too drunk on gin to notice the difference.  All the comments about waving the vermouth bottle over the shaker etc. ARE JOKES, made when public drunkenness was considered funny.  If you want to swirl the glass with vermouth, fine, but don't dump it: pour it into the shaker.  If you want to pour the soul of the drink down the drain, fine, but don't call the result a Martini, and don't invite me over for cocktails.

------
Steve Huntley
http://antipode.us/blosxom

The Real Martini (4.66 / 3) (#96)
by Zach Garner on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 06:50:23 PM EST

Martini should be made with Gin. You can have a Vodka Martini, but it's only related to a real Martini in the sense that the "Russian Mafia" is related to the real Mafia (i.e. no relation if you know anything about either). Martinis, being clear, should be stirred, not shaken. Bond doesn't know anything (and don't get me started on his watch) If you want straight Gin in a Martini glass, say so. Only recently in Martini's history have people been thinking that a Martini meant just some allusion to Vermouth. Vermouth is an essential part of a Martini, don't think looking at the Vermouth bottle while drinking counts as mixing a Martini.

Skyy Vodka is for pussies named Jeff that (2.25 / 8) (#102)
by to0gle on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 07:12:14 PM EST

live in Hunington Beach and drive PT Cruisers.

Fag.

the one true gin (3.40 / 5) (#105)
by joschi on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 07:20:26 PM EST

http://www.bombaysapphire.com/

dont mess around

The great expensive vodka ripoff (4.00 / 1) (#114)
by splitpeasoup on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 10:34:58 PM EST

Traditionally, vodka makers added congeners to mask the flavors of impurities. Vodka, ideally, is not supposed to have congeners at all. It is supposed to be a "grain neutral spirit", i.e. a mixture of ethanol and water and nothing else.

Thus, all expensive vodkas are either the same as diluted Everclear, or else have congeners in addition to ethanol and water and thus do not meet the definition of a pure vodka in the first place.

So are expensive vodkas just a massive ripoff? It certainly appears that way to me. However, not being a vodka drinker myself, I am looking for more enlightened answers.

-SPS

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

My Perfect Martini... (5.00 / 4) (#122)
by Pervy Hobbit Fancier on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 03:27:56 AM EST

1) Half-fill the shaker with crushed ice. Put the olives in the shaker.

2) Pour a small quantity of Vermouth into a room-temparature glass and swill it around. Tip away the excess.

3) Pour a large quantity of Gin into the shaker.

4) Shake well for a minute or two.

5) Pour the contents of the shaker into the glass, straining out the ice.

6) Throw the whole lot away and have a Black Russian (Vodka, Kahlua and Coke, or - if you're a bit pikey - Vodka, Tia Maria and Coke) instead because Gin and Vermouth both taste like lighter fluid.

7) Alternately, for a quicker and less expensive drink, simply miss out steps 1-5.

some more detail for those you that are interested (5.00 / 2) (#127)
by j0s)( on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 05:50:57 AM EST

to me, a martini is a drink served in a martini glass that is a mixture of alcohol and vermouth.

first, a nitpick, you are never supposed to shake alcohol, it should always be stirred. shaking "bruises" the alcohol. I dont make this stuff up, i just learn from the snobby alcoholics/bartenders.

second, against what a small portion of people here are saying, i enjoy vodka to gin. i dont think using vodka disqaulifies the drink as a "martini". someone further down posted about expensive vodkas. ill elaborate. essentially, vodka is pure grain alcohol, from potato or certain wheats. it just depends on the maker, but the alcohol is clear, unlike whiskey, the american grain alcohol. the vodka is distilled, the more times the better quality and the smoother the taste i find, to almost pure. pure is 200 proof, or 100% alcohol. then the alcohol is "cut" with water. again, the better the water, the smoother the taste. i find smirnoff to be obnoxious, absolut to have a bite and off smell, stoli (stolichnaya) and skyy to be excellent for the price ($12-15). grey goose is like a more expensive, slightly smoother version of those, belvedere, made popular by hip hop stars is excellent, but my personal favorite is belvedere's cousin, Chopin. thats my drink of choice ($30-35). of course, go to a club and expect to pay $100 and up for any of those three.

gin is made from the berries of the juniper bush, which i find ironic since most juniper bushes smell like cat piss. thank louis (i dont remember which number, google for it), the king of france for coming up with that one. he wanted it to be like a wine, and thats what he got, an extremele fragrant drink. i find most are similar, but the more you spend, the smoother the drink. tangueray 10, beefeater, bombay sapphire, all excellent.

chilling glasses, and the alcohol is always a good idea. the authors method of .25 to .50 ounce vermouth swirled to coat the glass and discarded is the "upscale" technique. the easy way is just to put .25 to .50 ounces and then the alcohol on top.

the martini defaults to gin unless "called" vodka by saying vodka martini. the classic is gin and dry vermouth, there is the sweet martini, in which you substitute sweet vermouth for dry vermouth but thats not done very often and i dont recommend it, and served with olives. the gibson is gin (can be called vodka) and dry vermouth, and served with pearl onions. the gimlet, vodka and lime juice (call fresh lime juice) and dry vermouth. "dirty" martini, gin (call vodka), olive juice, dry vermouth. the manhattan, the only martini not made with gin or vodka. the manhattan is whiskey or bourbon and sweet vermouth. you can call a dry manhattan in which you substitute dry vermouth, or "the perfect manhattan" in which you use 1/2 sweet and 1/2 dry vermouth, and whiskey or bourbon. of course theres the cosmopolitan, vodka, lime juice, triple sec, and cranberry juice. some really good variations come from using chambord. and the ever popular (thanks hip hop culture) appletini, vodka and apple pucker.

some places to learn more - http://cocktails.about.com/library/recipes/blmartinimenu.htm
http://drinks.glowport.com/
and my personal favorite - http://www.webtender.com

-- j0sh
hardware / software ;) (none / 0) (#128)
by muyuubyou on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 07:37:17 AM EST

Hardware: Shaker (preferably metal, although plastic will work too) Large Martini Glass Refrigerator (seems obvious, I know, but it's important) Olive Spear 6 oz Gin or Vodka A splash of Dry Vermouth Olives (1 to 3 is traditional) or Lemon Peel Ice (cubes will work, crushed is better) Software: Method and proportions


----------
It is when I struggle to be brief that I become obscure - Horace, Epistles
Vodka (4.00 / 3) (#133)
by CaptainSuperBoy on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 08:51:44 AM EST

My god.. thirteen of you people are absolutely insane. Martinis don't have vodka in them. Martinis don't have vodka in them. MARTINIS DO NOT HAVE VODKA!

I feel better now.

--
jimmysquid.com - I take pictures.

PC? (2.75 / 8) (#134)
by jotango on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 09:23:14 AM EST

Instead of Bombay Sapphire, please call it Mumbai Sapphire. Bombay Sapphire is colonialist, and definitely not PC.

When you've had a few too many, start going on Mumbai Safaris with your friends.

My 2 quirks (5.00 / 1) (#140)
by Finnur on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 12:52:54 PM EST

A bartender once told me...
...never touch the olives, you don´t want the fat of your fingers in the drink, totaly spoils it.

Use dense frosen icecubes, not crushed.
...you could just as well poure water into your martini.

...and to those of you dissing Martini lovers, you guys are missing out, and you will probabily grow up to be Martini drinking Men one day.
Smooth gin (4.50 / 2) (#144)
by Rhodes on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 02:19:28 PM EST

Try plymouth gin- anything else is varnish.

Fuck you all, I'm having a gin and tonic. (4.80 / 5) (#145)
by Russell Dovey on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 03:43:39 PM EST

And then I'm going out to hunt lions.

"Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light." - Spike Milligan

A vodka martini (4.00 / 1) (#150)
by CrazyJub on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 06:33:23 PM EST

does not have any Vermouth, it's just Vodka. If you go into a bar and ask for a "Martini" you'll get the Gin and vermouth mix. If you do opt for a Vodka Martini, not all Vodka's are the same. I prefer Iceberg to the rest, it's the same price as all the other vodkas, and it was rated a close second to Grey Goose. Oh yeah, it's made from real Icebergs...freaky!

First of all, (4.00 / 1) (#158)
by jforan on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 07:48:58 PM EST

at least in the US, martini, although defaulting to a gin martini straight up with olives, refers also to any chilled medium-to-high-alcohol-content beverage served in a martini glass.  On the rocks, it can refer to any 80 proof alcohol that could reasonably be served over ice with a small amount of Martini & Rossi (vermouth) e.g. gin, vodka, whiskey, or brandy.  (The latter two are more commonly referred to as Manhattans when mixed with vermouth, I believe.)

Although a nice Hendricks, Junipero, Bombay Sapphire, or Tanq 10 - with olives (also try with an onion) - straight up is quite good, my sweet/caffeinated/alcoholic tooth has recently enjoyed espresso martinis (which became popular a few years ago with the proliferation of espresso machines at nice restaurants and bars.)

Ingredients:
1.5 shots espresso
1 shot Stoli Banil (perhaps other new vanilla vodkas would work as well)
1/3 shot Creme de Cacao
1/3 shot Kalua
1/2 shot Bailey's

If you don't have an espresso maker, Starbuck's now sells the double-shot of espresso with cream (hopefully creamless soon) in grocery stores (at least those around the Boston area).  Use much less Bailey's if the espresso is pre-creamed.  The Starbuck's double shot actually conains about 3 bar shots of espresso, so double the ingredients listed above and make two servings.

How about some more of people's favorite foofy martini recipies.  Cosmo anyone?

Jeff

I hops to be barley workin'.

My uncle's martini recipie (none / 0) (#168)
by treefrog on Thu Aug 21, 2003 at 06:21:19 AM EST

Take one bottle of gin. Mix yourself a G & T. Top the bottle up with vermouth, and add a slice of lemon peel. Put the top back on, upend gently once or twice to start the mixing, and place in the freezer for 24 hours.

Now go drink...

regards, treefrog
Twin fin swallowtail fish. You don't see many of those these days - rare as gold dust Customs officer to Treefrog

Shake the living crap out of it. (none / 0) (#170)
by jabber on Thu Aug 21, 2003 at 10:15:49 AM EST

Yes, this is key to a smooth martini. Not only for the chilling (I keep my vodka and gin in the freezer anyway) but for the oxygenation. Properly shaken, the alcohol will pour out of the shaker a little cloudy - due to the miniature air bubbles the shaking forces into the liquid. This clears up quickly, but the smoothness lasts. Aerated and "bruised" booze just tastes better.

Some people prefer their martini stirred, as the taste does vary. So try it both ways and choose your favorite, but remember, you'll never be a secret agent if you take your martini stirred. And, really, if your bartender is an attractive woman, which would you rather she made you?

For flavoring, I like mine "dirty". Adding a few olives to the shaker, and pulverizing them with the ice in the process of shaking, does this nicely. For sweeter martinis, use about 25% De Kuyper Pucker of the flavor of your choice along with the vodka. For vodka, I suggest Wyborowa, blue label Stoli, or Ketel One. Wyborowa is, by far the smoothest I've had, and leaves no discernible aftertaste. Gin is a matter of taste. Beefeater is strong and pungent, Bombay Saphire is sweet and delicate, and the others fall in between.

[TINK5C] |"Is K5 my kapusta intellectual teddy bear?"| "Yes"

Shame (none / 0) (#178)
by Hillgiant on Fri Aug 22, 2003 at 01:40:05 PM EST

Vermouth is a terrible thing to do to vodka.

Friends don't let friends make martinis.

-----
"It is impossible to say what I mean." -johnny

a couple ideas. (none / 0) (#184)
by czernobog on Fri Aug 22, 2003 at 08:40:05 PM EST

Typically, I take my booze neat. But there are a couple martinis I'll drink.

I like your recipe except for the vermouth.... I'll use cointreau or lillet.

The Vespers recipe I learned was a Lillet rinsed cold glass. 1 Part Gin (Tanq 10 or Citadelle) and 2 parts Vodka (Thor's Hammer is what I tend to use) Shaken with a twist.

My froofy drink concession was called a Mikhail, and was served at the local martini bar, Elliot's. 2 Parts Coffee Stoli 1 part Vanilla Stoli shaken, with 3 espresso beans for garnish.

czernobog

My Martini Rules (4.00 / 1) (#187)
by autonomous on Sat Aug 23, 2003 at 11:09:22 PM EST

1) Vodka martini's require very good vodka. You'll need to go troll the import sections, find something that is 150 proof, russian, and breaks your bank account. You must then serve it wickedly cold, turn your freeze down until the little knob doesn't go down anymore. Put the bottle in there and leave it (yes, your wife will most likely complain about losing the freezer space your vodka collection will now take up). The better the vodka, the less it will taste like anything, this means your martini will taste like cold fire, with a hint of olive. If you cannot stand the burning feeling as you sip the 150 proof vodka (and I'm going to be branded a heretic for saying this), try using sweet vermuth. I keep a bottle of sweet vermuth for when I have guests who can't hack the dry. If you can convince them to try another with the sweet, you'll have them hooked for life, and after the first, they can all be dry (it worked on my wife). 2) Never Never Never shake a gin martini! In fact, don't shake gin at all once you've opened the bottle. You don't want to go oxidizing all those nice flavours in the gin. Keep it in the freezer sealed until your ready to drink it, then pour yourself a glass, think briefly about vermuth, and drop a couple olives in. 3) Ice is the enemy of the martini, back in the dark ages, it was a required evil, but now we have the technology to chill your alcohol without watering it down.
-- Always remember you are nothing more than a collection of complementary chemicals worth not more than $5.00
My personal favorite gins (3.00 / 1) (#191)
by DrStrngeluv on Mon Aug 25, 2003 at 06:11:52 PM EST

Plymouth, Boodles, and Beefeater, in that order.

I once read (2.00 / 1) (#193)
by nebbish on Tue Aug 26, 2003 at 10:57:18 AM EST

Of a bartender who would measure the correct amount of vermouth by shaking it in a hollowed out olive. Seems unnecessary, but these things add to the mystery of good food and drink :-)

---------
Kicking someone in the head is like punching them in the foot - Bruce Lee

Aaaahhh! No ice!!! (3.00 / 1) (#195)
by Mungo on Wed Aug 27, 2003 at 12:05:14 PM EST

Whatever you do - DON'T USE ICE and in your dry martini and DON'T SHAKE IT! Bond had no idea what he was talking about - the ice waters the gin down and shaking your martini will destroy some of the more delicate gin flavors.

I like quite a lot of vermouth in my martinis sometimes, but I'd never ever, ever, ever do something so foolish as to shake it with ice...

Homeopathic booze (none / 0) (#197)
by Shimmer on Mon Sep 01, 2003 at 09:32:56 PM EST

All this talk about minimizing the Vermouth makes me think about homeopathic remedies.

Wizard needs food badly.
How to Mix the Perfect Martini | 200 comments (161 topical, 39 editorial, 0 hidden)
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