The Martini

[Wil Tam]

I prefer vodka martinis myself....

1) I first chill my tini glasses with water & ice then I fill my shaker with ice plus a splash of dry vermouth shaking it hard then letting it sit a moment ...

2) I then take my Ketel One out of the freezer ... straining out the vermouth out of the shaker, keeping the ice [this method softens the flavor] I pour in 2 measures of the vodka adding a splash of the olive brine [for a dirty martini] ...

3) Shake vigorously or until some of the ice flakes, pour out the water & ice from the tini glasses then strain/pour concoction into glasses adding about 4 healthy olives to each glass

4) Repeat if necessary

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[miss_elise]

at bartending school I made a martini that was 1 part vermouth to 3 parts gin...

I was informed that this was incorrect...

I no longer bartend and prefer to make my own (particularly when i ask for an olive and get a twist instead...)

 

[Brad Bowers]

at bartending school I made a martini that was 1 part vermouth to 3 parts gin...

I was informed that this was incorrect...

More correct than most these days!

Brad

 

[miss_elise]

i know... the teacher said "ohhh, you've made a very dry martini..."

I had thought that was the point

 

[Wil Tam]

it's a matter of preference

i know... the teacher said "ohhh, you've made a very dry martini..."

I had thought that was the point

Individual tastes I s'pose .. I don't particularly like the taste of vermouth but it is needed in a martini [huh]

 

[Lone_Ranger]

at bartending school I made a martini that was 1 part vermouth to 3 parts gin...

I was informed that this was incorrect...

I no longer bartend and prefer to make my own (particularly when i ask for an olive and get a twist instead...)

I asked for a twist once. And got a twist......AND and olive. Now, when they ask if I want a lime, or a lemon twist, I don't think it's as funny, as I used to.

 

[gtdean48]

I like the pearl onions, can't stand olives. 3:1 gin to vermouth over cracked ice in shaker, strained in chilled glass.
I'm more of a Gimlet man tho....

 

[BigLittleTim]

DIRTY martini

OH! Getting the correct, traditional, SINGLE olive is almost impossible today. Most bartenders seem to gravitate toward the lemon twist. If you insist on AN olive they give you the bizarre "dirty martini" (akin to the "dirty bomb"?) sporting half a dozen olives and a jigger of olive juice to boot.

-BigLittleTim

 

[BigLittleTim]

F.D.R. Martini

WHERE did I read that F.D.R. mixed a drop of Absinthe into his Martini cocktail; "to obliterate the palate"?

-BigLittleTim

 

[jamespowers]

I am on the side of the not too hot on the taste of vermouth. I have a small mister bottle that delivers a few sprays of vermouth to my Gibson. Then again, I use Hendricks gin so I don't want to mess much with that taste anyway.

 

[dr greg]

twist again

Isn't there supposed to be some zest in there as well? And by that I don't mean the physical peel, but the fine spray of oils released by reverse squeezing fresh lemon rind over the drink.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

WHERE did I read that F.D.R. mixed a drop of Absinthe into his Martini cocktail; "to obliterate the palate"?

-BigLittleTim

A dash of absinthe in a Martini was not that unusual. You can even see it on Jeeves and Wooster.

It's more likely FDR used one of the American substitutes such as Legendre Herbsaint, or Jung & Wulff's Milky-Way, Abson, Green Opal, and so on.. back in the day they were more readily available.

 

[jamespowers]

A dash of absinthe in a Martini was not that unusual. You can even see it on Jeeves and Wooster.

It's more likely FDR used one of the American substitutes such as Legendre Herbsaint, or Jung & Wulff's Milky-Way, Abson, Green Opal, and so on.. back in the day they were more readily available.

Herbsaint doesn't sound like it would be that bad an addition. How much though? [huh]

 

[Absinthe_1900]

You'd use it like cocktail bitters, just a dash, or you could rinse your martini glass like these vintage instructions from 1937:

 

[BigLittleTim]

A dash of absinthe in a Martini was not that unusual. You can even see it on Jeeves and Wooster.

It's more likely FDR used one of the American substitutes such as Legendre Herbsaint, or Jung & Wulff's Milky-Way, Abson, Green Opal, and so on.. back in the day they were more readily available.

Thanks, Absinthe 1900,

Great name, by-the-by! If you didn't know, I doubt who would.

Cheers!

-BigLittleTim

 

[jamespowers]

You'd use it like cocktail bitters, just a dash, or you could rinse your martini glass like these vintage instructions from 1937:

Sort of like a Sazerac cocktail. Works for me. The Sazerac I mean. :cheers1:

 

[Ethan Bentley]

WHERE did I read that F.D.R. mixed a drop of Absinthe into his Martini cocktail; "to obliterate the palate"?

-BigLittleTim

I've got a few little wisps of information on FDR and the Martini, I'll dig it out and pop it up in the near future, if it's of interest.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

The Vesper Martini (aka the James Bond drink)
3 measures of gin
1 measure of vodka
1/2 a measure of dry vermouth (they don't make kina lillet anymore, which is what he drinks in the book)

M'am an excellent choice.
I believe that Lillet Blanc is till available (there's a red version too), sadly not quite as bitter as Kina Lillet but it's not a bad substitute.
That said, Noilly Prat is pretty good too.

 

[seahound]

The Quintessential Martini

Using the search function I've been able to find threads on gin, vodka and vermouth. Let's put them all together in a thread about Martinis. Gin or Vodka. Sweet or dry. Perfect or dirty. Olive or onion or a twist. Not apple-tinis, choco-tinis or bacon-tinis but actual, honest-to-Bond martinis.

I'll start. I love gin but can't stand vodka, so I drink gin martinis. I like them really dry and really cold. Here's my recipe:
Put a bottle of gin in the freezer. Come back tomorrow.
Combine:
Handful of ice.
Gordon's Gin to taste (usually a jigger and a pony).
A few drops (yes, drops) of vermouth.
Stir a few times around the mixer, strain into a cocktail glass with 2 onions.

How do you make yours?

 

[scotrace]

Editor's Note: Three threads on the perfect martini merged into one (Including the excellent "Adulterer's Cocktail of Choice" thread and the new "Quintessential Martini" thread.)