Make a Martini

A Martini is gin (or maybe, if you must, vodka), mixed with Vermouth over ice, and served straight with an olive.

That may be the basics, but making a real martini is an art.

The gin should be really top shelf, as you are more or less drinking it neat. Bombay Sapphire is dryer and herbier, Tanquaray is sweeter. There are few alternatives.

Dry or Extra Dry vermouth is what you need. Martini brand is good, but others will suffice.

You are going to need a shaker and a whole bunch of ice. Fill the shaker with ice. Fill the martini glass (important) with ice to chill.

You need a dash of vermouth. How big this dash is is really a matter of taste. The less vermouth, the drier the martini. For a really dry martini, just coat the glass with vermouth and throw it away. For a sweeter drink, maybe half a shot of vermouth to three shots of gin.

• Add the gin
• Shake
• empty the ice from the glass
• Put two olives on a cocktail stick in the glass
• Pour until the glass is completely full.

Martinis were traditionally stirred and poured warm into a chilled glass. No water from the ice to weaken the drink. James Bond changed all that.

Discussion

There is much discussion as to what makes the perfect martini. Some prefer the above mentioned martini. Others believe that the perfect martini is in fact made with a good quality vodka and not gin, though this can be refered to as a vodka martini. There is also a debate on the correct amount of vermouth. Some prefer a 50/50 mix, others merely swirl a minute amount of vermouth in the glass, pour it out and add the gin or vodka.

One must of course keep in mind, that it all boils down to mixing vermouth with hard booze to make it easier to drink.