The Martini
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The origins of the cocktail known as the "martini" are shrouded in mystery. The most popular tale claims that the first martini was made in 1870 in the town of Martinez, California. A successful gold prospector asked for a stiff drink, and the barkeep had only gin and bitters. He mixed the two, dropped in an olive and violia! To this day, Martinez claims to the legitimate birthplace of the martini.
Regardless of its origins, the martini continues to be a popular drink to this day. Franklin D. Roosevelt sipped them quite frequently. It is rumored Richard Nixon drank them copiously while wandering about the White House jabbering and praying to portraits of Lincoln and Washington during the final, scandalous days of his term. The most famous martini drinker is, of course, James Bond.
The martini is an exceptional drink for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it get one intoxicated very quickly. Additionally, since there are no limes to cut, no knives are involved in the process of creating the drink. This can be life-saving during a serious bender. To make a proper martini, you will need the following ingredients and materials:
Gin or Vodka
Dry Vermouth
Olives
Toothpicks
Ice
Shaker
Strainer
Stemmed Glass
The alcohol should preferably be top-shelf, or something just below that. Ideal brands of gin are Tanqueray 10, Bombay Sapphire or Beefeater. For vodka it is reccomended you use Gray Goose, Stolichnaya or Finlandia. Do not use anything made in a bathtub or a closet still, as these will not have a pleasant taste. Of course, they can also kill you. The only acceptable vermouth is Martini and Rossi. Choice of olives is also important. If possible, use only organically grown, fresh olives.
The stemmed glass is also crucial. The purpose of the stemmed glass is to keep the hand away from the drink itself, preventing one from warming the cocktail through body heat, and hence ruining it. A warm martini is a disgusting martini. Finally, the gin or vodka, the shaker and the glass should all be chilled. Vermouth is properly kept at room temperature.
First, place two ice cubes in the shaker. Next, add approximately three parts gin or vodka to one part vermouth. If you prefer a drier martini use a ratio of six or eight parts gin to one part vermouth. Note that a dry martini is essentially the same as straight gin.
Next, shake the mixture eight times. In the shaken/stirred debate, James Bond is right - shaken is better than stirred. By shaking you achieve a more homogenous mixture. Some people, however, see the martini as a work of art and prefer a stirred one. By stirring the martini, you avoid the cloudiness that arises from shaking, hence preserving the aesthetic quality of clear gin. Of course, people who drink to admire the aesthetic qualities of a cocktail should probably stop.
Strain the mixture over a stemmed glass. Take one olive, impale it on a toothpick, and add it to the cocktail. Finally, sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labors.
A popular variation on the martini is the so-called "dirty" martini. To make one of these alcoholic treats, merely add one part olive juice to every three parts gin or vodka, in addition to the vermouth. Also, since dirty martini drinkers are generally olive fetishists anyway, place three olives on the toothpick instead of one. The advantage to the dirty martini is that it tends to mask the traditional flavor of a martini, which is not unlike rocket fuel. This is a reccomended drink to serve to members of the opposite sex you wish to sleep with, as they will not notice the taste and think you are sophisticated to boot. They will also get very inebriated, and hence easy to manipulate, fairly quickly. Enjoy!
Regardless of its origins, the martini continues to be a popular drink to this day. Franklin D. Roosevelt sipped them quite frequently. It is rumored Richard Nixon drank them copiously while wandering about the White House jabbering and praying to portraits of Lincoln and Washington during the final, scandalous days of his term. The most famous martini drinker is, of course, James Bond.
The martini is an exceptional drink for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it get one intoxicated very quickly. Additionally, since there are no limes to cut, no knives are involved in the process of creating the drink. This can be life-saving during a serious bender. To make a proper martini, you will need the following ingredients and materials:
Gin or Vodka
Dry Vermouth
Olives
Toothpicks
Ice
Shaker
Strainer
Stemmed Glass
The alcohol should preferably be top-shelf, or something just below that. Ideal brands of gin are Tanqueray 10, Bombay Sapphire or Beefeater. For vodka it is reccomended you use Gray Goose, Stolichnaya or Finlandia. Do not use anything made in a bathtub or a closet still, as these will not have a pleasant taste. Of course, they can also kill you. The only acceptable vermouth is Martini and Rossi. Choice of olives is also important. If possible, use only organically grown, fresh olives.
The stemmed glass is also crucial. The purpose of the stemmed glass is to keep the hand away from the drink itself, preventing one from warming the cocktail through body heat, and hence ruining it. A warm martini is a disgusting martini. Finally, the gin or vodka, the shaker and the glass should all be chilled. Vermouth is properly kept at room temperature.
First, place two ice cubes in the shaker. Next, add approximately three parts gin or vodka to one part vermouth. If you prefer a drier martini use a ratio of six or eight parts gin to one part vermouth. Note that a dry martini is essentially the same as straight gin.
Next, shake the mixture eight times. In the shaken/stirred debate, James Bond is right - shaken is better than stirred. By shaking you achieve a more homogenous mixture. Some people, however, see the martini as a work of art and prefer a stirred one. By stirring the martini, you avoid the cloudiness that arises from shaking, hence preserving the aesthetic quality of clear gin. Of course, people who drink to admire the aesthetic qualities of a cocktail should probably stop.
Strain the mixture over a stemmed glass. Take one olive, impale it on a toothpick, and add it to the cocktail. Finally, sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labors.
A popular variation on the martini is the so-called "dirty" martini. To make one of these alcoholic treats, merely add one part olive juice to every three parts gin or vodka, in addition to the vermouth. Also, since dirty martini drinkers are generally olive fetishists anyway, place three olives on the toothpick instead of one. The advantage to the dirty martini is that it tends to mask the traditional flavor of a martini, which is not unlike rocket fuel. This is a reccomended drink to serve to members of the opposite sex you wish to sleep with, as they will not notice the taste and think you are sophisticated to boot. They will also get very inebriated, and hence easy to manipulate, fairly quickly. Enjoy!
