The ultimate, elegant sip …
I’ve featured the Martini before but this looks like a good month to do a repeat. We’re already on the subject of a proper Martini in the blog this month, and I believe the Martini represents the cocktail in it’s the highest, purest form. So here it is again.
Simple, clear, bracing, smooth, and stunningly elegant.
Ignore all the hooey about vodka, and all those silly “–tini” things and go for the classic combination – London Dry-style gin and dry vermouth. The vermouth knocks the bitter edge off the gin and the gin banishes the sweetness of the vermouth. The result is a whole new flavor and it’s almost shockingly smooth. Amazing!
A number of people who have told me they didn’t like gin, decided they actually did like gin after a sip of one of my Martinis. You owe it to yourself to give it a try.
Martini
- 5 parts gin
- 1 part dry vermouth
Garnish with olives, a twist of lemon, or, if you want to call it a Gibson, a cocktail onion. Any of these will be totally swell.
Combine ingredients and shake until icy cold. Strain into a cocktail glass. Some people insist on stirring their Martinis. This results in a clearer drink at the outset, which is nice, but you have to stir a long time to get it cold enough. I don't like to wait.
A word about ingredients
Gin With all the new craft gins out there, things can get confusing. London Dry gin (sometimes simply called dry gin) is the most commonplace style of gin and it’s what good martinis are made of. Tanqueray, Bombay, Beefeater, Segram’s, Broker's, Gordon's, and Gilbey’s are all London Dry gins, and easy to find. And there are others. If you’re unsure, read the label or ask your friendly liquor merchant.
Dry Vermouth Most vermouth is sold in green bottles, but dry vermouth has a label and bottle cap that are also green. (Sweet vermouth – great in Manhattans, but not in Martinis – will usually have a red label and/or a red cap.) Any good brand will be fine. Depending on what’s on the store shelf, I’ve been known to use Martini & Rossi, Noilly Pratt, Cinzano, and Dolin. Prices for more exotic brands can get pretty ridiculous, and you’re not going to need very much, so stay with the classics.
With a well-made Martini, elegant drinking is yours …