It's The Martini's World, We're Just Living In It
March 16, 2023 2:55 PM   Subscribe

Though the classic Martini recipe is a simple one—only two ingredients in its most austere form—it has inspired more debate than any other over the proper ingredients (gin or vodka?), ratio (wet or dry?) and garnish (olive or a twist?). More than a century’s worth of fine-tuning has resulted in a deep library of both classic and contemporary iterations that run the full gamut of both style and flavor. Here are some of our favorites. from "Planet Martini" [Punch] posted by chavenet (89 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Bonus: the most pretentious Martini recipe ever: Perfect

Lots of comments I could make having been in bar business for many years (many of which straddled the [re]emergence of what we now call craft cocktails) but let me just share the story of the time I suggested a guest try a Perfect Manhattan---yes, I know, not a Martini. The guest's reply was that they thought I was pretty pretentious, offering to make them the 'perfect' implementation of the cocktail. I quickly explained that that wasn't what I had meant to imply by 'perfect.' They were both satisfied with my description of the drink and, more importantly, the drink itself.

Oh, and just to get this out of the way up front:

- Martinis are made with gin and vermouth and in a realistic and reasonable ratio to each other.

- I am a big fan of the 50/50, which was the pre-Prohibition implementation of the drink.

- A vodka Martini made w/o vermouth is just very cold vodka, esp. if it's been hammered in a shaker with ice v. being stirred. (Beware the guest who asks for one "extra cold"!)

- Espresso Martinis are simply Black Russians served up.

OK..I feel better now.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:15 PM on March 16, 2023 [31 favorites]


There are martinis, and there are vodka cocktails. There is no overlap.
posted by hippybear at 3:15 PM on March 16, 2023 [19 favorites]


i do firmly believe a martini should have gin and generally i think you should just put in a tiny bit of vermouth in the glass, swirl it around, then pour it out. you should smell but not taste the vermouth. if it has anything other than gin and dry vermouth it's not a martini, and while i've enjoyed some drinks called "tinis" they still are relegated to the profane.
posted by dis_integration at 3:20 PM on March 16, 2023 [5 favorites]


If it's that dry, you might as well drink the gin straight. If it's vodka, don't pretend it's a martini. Feel free to drink whatever you want, but come up with a name that doesn't besmirch the classic.
posted by rikschell at 3:22 PM on March 16, 2023 [9 favorites]


I am a monster. Vodka martini, wet, dirty.
posted by Splunge at 3:25 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


I am a monster. Vodka martini, wet, dirty.

Bartender's 'dirty' secret: brine is free, comes with the olives and would other wise be wasted; vodka, even if cheap, costs me something. So...the dirtier you want your drink, the more brine/less vodka I'll use.

So: Cha-ching!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:31 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


the Perfect Manhattan sounds lovely
posted by chavenet at 3:36 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


Pro-tip: if you're in a bar, don't ever order a Cosmopolitan if you mean to order a Manhattan. Despite the "big city" similar naming, you'll be shocked with what you receive.
posted by hippybear at 3:39 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


OK folks, I'm a martini virgin. What should I order?
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:40 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


I never hated the vodka martini because it was cool, I hated the "vodka martini" because it's the cocktail version of real estate developers fudging the boundaries of an "uncool" neighborhood into one with more cachet. Don't like gin? That's fine, but then you're drinking a kangaroo.
posted by EvaDestruction at 3:43 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


Sapphire martini, not too dry, with two olives. My preferred ratio is 3:1. I like how the vermouth changes the flavor profile of the gin as the drink moves from chilled to room temperature. You get a different drink with every sip.

I do like a dirty martini, but that's sort of cheating if you're new to martinis. You want to taste the flavorings in the gin. The thing about the martini is, gins can vary so widely, you can get two very different drinks in the same night with basically the same order.

Ask for that above only made with Hendricks instead of Sapphire, and you've gone to an entirely different place.

Also, martinis are 3-4 shots of straight up alcohol (today -- they used to be 1-2 shots but Americans...), so plan ahead if you're going to have more than one of these.
posted by hippybear at 3:44 PM on March 16, 2023 [5 favorites]


It's simply awful that the Turf Club Cocktail was left off this list. I like an olive instead of a twist.
posted by clockwork at 3:45 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


OK folks, I'm a martini virgin. What should I order?

First, "should" is a perilous term: are you trying to impress someone or have a tasty experience? (Note I'm not entirely disparaging the goal of impressing someone, sometimes you have to choose between fixing the world and surviving in it, and a gal's gotta do what a fella's gotta do.) My preferred option is to find something I like that is also impressive and start there if I don't know my audience -- for me, that's a negroni. Probably not for most people though, don't order that if you don't already know you like it.

That out of the way, one thing this article really highlights is that the word "martini" is one of the least informative terms in bar culture by far. There's just no way of predicting what sort of drink you're going to get based on that part of the name. The best predictor is the sort of bar you're in: fancy, expensive, quiet night? Have a conversation with the bartender and they'll guide you to something you might like. Loud crowded party scene? Shout one or two ingredients and hope for the best. Mainstream bar with a menu? Order something that sounds good from the menu.

Or if you really want to try a martini, order that a couple times from a couple different places. Among the wide range of flavors you get, if at least one of them is kind of in your wheelhouse, now you can start pursuing which version of "martini" is something you like. Otherwise don't bother.
posted by traveler_ at 3:55 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


Another consideration:

Dry vermouth only really came into common use after Prohibition ended. Pre-Prohibition drinks recipes calling for dry (or French) vermouth probably were expecting what's today termed a blanc (or bianco, if we're using something from Italy), which is richer and a bit sweeter. Give it a whirl next time you order a Turf Club or an Alaska.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:56 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


gins can vary so widely, you can get two very different drinks in the same night with basically the same order

This is key and is a) why you always specify your gin and 2) shouldn't stop if you find you don't like your first martini. Try at least Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks and Tanqueray. Also, order at a bar where they use enough vermouth that the bottle won't have gone off, that was possibly also a contributing factor in my disappointment in my first martini many years ago.
posted by EvaDestruction at 3:56 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


“Bonus: the most pretentious Martini recipe ever: Perfect”

HNNNNGRHGGG!

I love a perfect martini, this is not a perfect martini. Like the perfect manhattan, a perfect martini means that there’s both sweet and dry vermouth. They’re simplicity itself to make.

2 parts gin
1 part vermouth, split equally between dry and sweet
olive (or a lemon twist, if you want to be traditional)

You can put in a dash of orange bitters, if you feel like it. It’s good with and without.

And, you know, the ice and the stirring and the straining and all that.
posted by Kattullus at 3:57 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


I've started atomizing 1/8 of an oz of absinthe when I make mine, along with a dash of orange bitters. If you like a martini they're pretty amazing.

Also, my first metatalk thread was trying to find that 'perfect martini' piece. I certainly don't love the recipe, but I loved that he loved it so much to be so specific about it.
posted by Carillon at 4:26 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


My bar order tends to be a dirty gin martini, not too dry, Bombay Sapphire. I've had lots of other good martinis, but that one is pretty safe, unless they go mad with the brine. Know your bartender, and make sure that they know you tip well.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:55 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


I was instructed in martini mixing at the age of 10 by my mother. 3 gin, 1 vermouth. Only Tanqueray gin please! A couple olives.

However, I never developed a taste for martinis. Gin and tonic is more my style.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:11 PM on March 16, 2023 [4 favorites]


I think it would be remiss not to suggest that the Noel Coward Martini is the most austere form: add cold gin and wave the glass in the general direction of Italy.
posted by Foaf at 5:21 PM on March 16, 2023 [4 favorites]


In some cases, you’ll find bar staff offering vodka as an option, rather than a bartender having to reluctantly oblige;

Here in the real world, bartenders were serving Kangaroos by default from at least the mid-Nineties until relatively recently. Which is my actual gripe against “vodka martinis”—drink that mess if you like, but don’t sow confusion just to look more sophisticated. That’s what’s not cool.

Rumor has it that the Vodka Marketing Council or whoever paid the James Bond filmmakers to switch his iconic drink to a “vodka martini.” Too good a rumor to check, IMO.

(My martini tip—use good vermouth, which in practice means Dolin or Noïlly Prat. Then you don’t need to get into the dryness wars.)
posted by doubtfulpalace at 5:38 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


My first taste of a good martini came while sitting at the bar at Musso and Frank, back in the late 80s. Lordy, was that good. Never had one its equal since. I loves me a good martini. Maybe not quite as dearly as my beloved manhattan, but that’s a whole different drink war.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:41 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


I am a monster

While I'm not that kind of monster, I have made and enjoyed a kalamata gin drink.

But most of all I prefer dirty martinis with oysters. The experience of eating and drinking the sea while you slowly get tipsy and full is just amazing.
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 6:09 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


Rumor has it that the Vodka Marketing Council or whoever paid the James Bond filmmakers to switch his iconic drink to a “vodka martini.” Too good a rumor to check, IMO.

I thought this fell squarely on Flemming and the books. He wanted to paint Bond as a non-conformist and so having him specifying vodka, instead of gin, and shaken, rather then stirred, was his way of signalling that.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:21 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


Insert Clever Name Here: IIRC he drinks Vespers in the books.
posted by doubtfulpalace at 6:25 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


My favorite Martini is Empress 1909 gin (the purple one) and Dolin white vermouth, with a lemon twist
posted by briank at 6:52 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


Gin, dry, three olives.
posted by bondcliff at 7:11 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


Oh, also, I was in a shitty agriturismo in Tuscany a few months ago and we asked for a martini and they served us sweet vermouth on the rocks. Everything else in Italy was good though.
posted by bondcliff at 7:13 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


You know that Martini is an Italian brand of vermouth, right?

or is that the joke?
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:20 PM on March 16, 2023 [4 favorites]


Try as I might, I just can't enjoy classic martinis. Apparently I need at least a little bit of sweetness to my cocktails; I will drink any number of Manhattans or (gin) gimlets.

Some of these variants look quite interesting, though. Particularly the one with maraschino and absinthe.
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:31 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


I spent about three decades in the bar business. Martinis were always a joke. And as they became drier and drier (less and less vermouth) they were little more than a classy, sophisticated way to enjoy a raw slug of gin. But don't let me disillusion you...
posted by jim in austin at 7:49 PM on March 16, 2023 [4 favorites]


I didn't enjoy gin at all until I was in my early 40's when suddenly I did. Now it's my favorite liquor when it's hot outside, either as a martini (standard gin:vermouth ratio and an olive) or a gin and tonic (with lime) depending on my mood. I prefer it closer to room temperature rather than icy cold so at most I'll plop a small ice cube into it. I also can't be having with that ridiculous top-heavy glass, a normal small glass is fine. I'm too old and too busy savoring my beverage to care what people think of me.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:02 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


I found Tanquery 10 was great for G&Ts but terrible for martinis. FWIW.

Fond memories of the dry Sapphire martini. Gin did something unique to my brain chemistry, so different than any other alcohol. Not just the ol’ Dutch courage; i became INDESTRUCTIBLE. Until the next morning, of course.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 8:12 PM on March 16, 2023 [4 favorites]


Tanquery has a LOT of pine notes, which makes for an AMAZING gin and tonic (the quinine and the pine combine sublimely) (yes, I did that on purpose), but it's generally awful for a martini because the pine is SO forward.

I mean, yes, you might enjoy that, but there are a lot better gins for martinis.
posted by hippybear at 8:45 PM on March 16, 2023 [5 favorites]


Beefeater, Dolin dry, twist of lemon. That's a martini to me. I'm willing to accept others, as long as they have gin.
posted by mollweide at 8:52 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


OK folks, I'm a martini virgin. What should I order?

If you are in a fancy cocktail bar, order a Vesper. Gin and vermouth are both acquired tastes, and the Vesper cuts the gin flavor with vodka, and uses Lillet Blanc, which is basically a vermouth, but... less so.

Do not order a martini in a dive bar or chain restaurant.

My personal martini order is "Gin, wet, lemon twist." At home, I like a 2-1 ratio and a dash of orange bitters, but I'm not going to get that fussy with a bartender.
posted by Bill_Roundy at 9:04 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


Another vote for Tanquery G&t, Bombay Sapphire Martinis. Actually, the main use for my bottle of Bombay has been the Gibson ( basically a martini with an onion instead of an olive).

My beat friend’s lawyer father used to have one after work everyday, and as my parents were teetotalers, it was the epitome of sophistication. When he passed a bought a handle and a large jar of cocktail onions
posted by CostcoCultist at 9:07 PM on March 16, 2023 [5 favorites]


hey Siri, order me the boomerest metafilter thread possible
posted by 7segment at 9:13 PM on March 16, 2023 [6 favorites]


Always been a fan of a good martini. Plymouth gin (London gins are fin for G&Ts, but not for this), olive, not too much vermouth... An excuse to drink a glass of essentially cold, slightly flavoured gin is always good.

Oh, also, I was in a shitty agriturismo in Tuscany a few months ago and we asked for a martini and they served us sweet vermouth on the rocks. Everything else in Italy was good though.

Order a martini in a pub here in the UK, and you're most likely being served a glass of vermouth. Even odds on whether you get bianco or rosso.
posted by Dysk at 9:18 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


I'm reminded of the lyric from Hedwig And The Angry Inch...

"I look up from my vermouth on the rocks"
posted by hippybear at 9:24 PM on March 16, 2023 [3 favorites]


(and I will say with no shame that I've had vermouth on the rocks and it is absolutely not a bad drink at all)

*hic*
posted by hippybear at 9:25 PM on March 16, 2023 [2 favorites]


One of my bartender pals always said of the his perfect martini: Chilled glass with the rim rubbed with a lemon rind, 2 olives, shaken gin (the good stuff) and the bartender whispers "vermouth" over the top. He's not wrong.
posted by kjs3 at 9:27 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


The great thing about gin is that it’s so different from one distillery to another. As many have noted just switching gins can change the whole drink.

This is also the worst thing about gin. If you aren’t a fan of Hendricks (do they have to include every damn botanical?) or regular Tanqueray (it’s better than vodka, but not by much!) it can be murder getting a decent gin cocktail.

A crisp gin. (Don’t cover up the juniper)
Wet
An olive

In a pinch dry with two olives is fine.

If you don’t like the gin selection get it dirty (or just have a gin and tonic).
posted by oddman at 9:39 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


The great thing about gin is that it’s so different from one distillery to another. As many have noted just switching gins can change the whole drink.

I like gin, but I have never really been able to tell the difference between gins.
posted by atoxyl at 10:22 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


Hahahaha, I used to like vodka martinis, can't stand them now, but it took a very long time and a lot of gin sampling. The resurgence of the martini in the 90's saved us from a very dreary decade or so of light beer and wine coolers.
I kept a set of my favorite prettily rippled martini glasses, and recently made a gin martini with a twist, not as dry as in the past since I've been fooling around with vermouth for a couple years, and that drink was beautiful. It had so much flavor, and depth, and was the correct temperature throughout (as it was only 2 oz, total, not some bucket). Then I put the gin away and slept very well. I have learned a little, and martinis will teach you more than you want to know.
posted by winesong at 11:31 PM on March 16, 2023 [1 favorite]


Sweet vermouth on the rocks, with a slice of orange and an olive, is a great drink. And a slower start to the evening than a glass of cold gin.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:25 AM on March 17, 2023 [3 favorites]


I have learned a little, and martinis will teach you more than you want to know.

QFT
posted by chavenet at 2:35 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


I think it would be remiss not to suggest that the Noel Coward Martini is the most austere form: add cold gin and wave the glass in the general direction of Italy.

I think Luis Bunuel somewhere says you set the gin and vermouth next to each other, and allow a ray of light to go through both.

Anyway, here's the man himself with some more realistic instruction.
posted by each day we work at 2:42 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


so tonight I have arrived in Key Largo to spend a week with my mom. She is awesome and got a jar of garlic stuffed olives because I said that I like them . But they are awful!!! what do I do?? Mom's a sweet and feisty, smart as hell 80 year old lady, and she tried to get the best olives. Should I just use them and have substandard martinis? or be honest and say that they suck, despite the fact that I asked for them? I don't want to hurt her feelings, but bad martinis are also less than optimal. I think it's best if I just drink other things
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:33 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


I've only ever had one Martini in my life, and was surprised that "hey, this is basically a glass of vodka with a teeny bit of other stuff!" Or was it gin? Either way, at the time (and this was a pretty long time ago) I didn't have much tolerance or taste for hard liquor, but I have definitely developed a taste for it now, so I think I'll be having a Martini in the near future!
posted by zardoz at 3:37 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


Johnny Assay: that wasn't a joke by bondcliff. In Europe, a "martini" means a glass of Martini & Rossi. If you're a North American in a bar over there and want a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, you must specify what you mean. Something a lot of folks have had to learn by experience.
posted by Epixonti at 4:32 AM on March 17, 2023 [3 favorites]


Always fun to hear friends get into it about the Martini.

I had one of the first Fitty-Fittys ever served at Pegu Club and drank hundreds of them at that bar over the course of its run. It’s a favorite iteration, although I like all kinds from a 1:2 “inverted” Martini to an Infinity:1 Duke’s Martini from the freezer. I’ll even enjoy a kind of mid-century supper club Martini consisting of gin over cracked ice with an olive. Another favorite is the (3:1 I think) iteration served atPolar Bear Martini Club, an exclusive gathering of reprobates convened only on the coldest, snowiest day of the year in the back patio of Tooker Alley in Brooklyn — the only time your Martini gets colder the longer you hold. I’d rather drink ‘em than argue about ‘em, personally. Except for the use of vodka. That just ain’t a Martini.
posted by slkinsey at 4:37 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Bartender's 'dirty' secret: brine is free, comes with the olives and would other wise be wasted; vodka, even if cheap, costs me something. So...the dirtier you want your drink, the more brine/less vodka I'll use.

So: Cha-ching!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here


Ex-bartender here. Yes. I know.
posted by Splunge at 4:52 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


2:1 gin:vermouth, with a decent gin (currently using Vikre juniper, from Duluth - but their boreal spruce gin is also great) and a decent vermouth (as noted upthread, if a significant portion of your drink is vermouth, why are you using the cheapest one possible?). Couple of olives.

I do like vodka (currently using a nice Finnish variety) but I don’t use it in anything I’d call a martini. It’s just wrong. That’s not what vodka is for.

I did a while back try sweet vermouth with gin - not quite a Martinez, as I didn’t have any maraschino liqueur to add - but it was quite interesting. Again, using a decent vermouth. In that case Antica, which makes a damn nice Manhattan.

It’s been fun learning about classic cocktails - given the small space I have in which to store ingredients, my focus has been on a small number of drinks that have common mixers, but that didn’t stop me from picking up a bottle of Campari just so that I could try out making a Negroni…
posted by caution live frogs at 5:36 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


Johnny Assay: that wasn't a joke by bondcliff. In Europe, a "martini" means a glass of Martini & Rossi. If you're a North American in a bar over there and want a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, you must specify what you mean. Something a lot of folks have had to learn by experience.

Yeah, we were clearly ignorant Americans but we were also in a restaurant clearly being operated by people who had no idea how to run a restaurant. There were other issues aside from the Martini. We tried to explain what a Martini was but they were not having it.

Now we know.
posted by bondcliff at 6:32 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


It’s No Longer Cool to Hate the Vodka Martini
True true. Nothing goes better with a well-done steak smothered in ketchup than a vodka martini.

I might argue that it's maybe better to try / experiment with a martini at home than at a bar, that is if you're totally new. A bottle of good quality gin is not much more expensive than 2-3 drinks out on the town. If it turns out you don't like gin, give the rest to a friend. Now you know what you like and you're someone's new best friend.

I've really been enjoying Roku gin lately - from the fine people who make Suntory whisky. It's floral with juniper and without strong pine notes.
posted by device55 at 7:06 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


device55: I've really been enjoying Roku gin lately

Not my favorite for martinis, but sometimes I substitute St. Germain for vermouth, and use a grapefruit twist for garnish, and it’s the best gin for that (tied with, inexplicably, The Botanist).
posted by doubtfulpalace at 7:21 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


I did a while back try sweet vermouth with gin - not quite a Martinez, as I didn’t have any maraschino liqueur to add - but it was quite interesting.

Of course, if you don’t stock maraschino, you can’t make Brooklyns or Hemingway Daiquiries, which is terribly sad.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:36 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


I've always liked the (probably apocryphal) story about how Churchill, who, when asked how to make his martini, would say "No vermouth. Just give a nod toward France."

That said, I agree with jim in austin that you're just sipping shots out of stemware when you do it like that.

Dry gin is fine but if you want a drink with some more of balance, I highly recommend Wonderbird spirits silken-smooth rice-based gin and Lillet blanc, with a lemon peel. Mix it in whatever proportions you like. It is enjoyable.
posted by heyitsgogi at 7:40 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


My understanding is that a martini used to have a sizeable quantity of vermouth in the past, then people made tongue-in-cheek jokes about how the drink would be even better with an even higher alcohol percentage, people started applying the jokes literally, and so here we are.
posted by splitpeasoup at 7:49 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


In his farewell piece for the Daily Beast, David Wondrich proposed that a Martini should come in between 28% and 32% ABV and then gave examples of how different strengths of gin work with different ratios of vermouth.

We make ours 3:1 with two dashes of orange bitters, spritz and discard a lemon peel, and garnish with a couple Manzanilla olives, a cocktail onion, or sometimes a "salad" of both. For the gin we typically use Beefeater (house standard, $28 or less for a handle), but we've been using a lot of Bombay Sapphire lately thanks to a decent price at Costco. We should probably do another taste test of Dolin vs Noilly-Prat but we've been simplifying a lot of our bar over the last couple years so for now it's just gonna be Dolin, because that's the one we keep around. And for the orange bitters we found we preferred Bitter Truth, but now we've run out of it and we're back to Feegan's, because we always have Regan's around and still have some Fee Brothers.

Marginalia:
* Vermouth on a large rock: yes, please.
* I do enjoy a Fitty-Fitty but I don't usually make them, because they're not usually what I want (which is either in the same ABV range as Wondrich specifies or, well, just a low proof aperitivo).
* Because we had some good Fino on hand recently (Tio Pepe, for those playing along at home), and because a Bamboo is a thing (looks like a cocktail, tastes like a cocktail, and punches like a six-year-old) and a Tuxedo is a thing, I've been enjoying a riff where instead of 3:1 it's 3:½:½ with Fino and Dolin Dry. It's a little more dry than the standard 3:1, just a little bit saline, and it works.
* We tried making freezer Martinis in a couple different ratios, and the ratio we want to drink froze solid if left overnight. Even the much stronger one I made to try to keep that from happening also froze solid, so I think our freezer might be too cold. We currently have a bottled Martini in the fridge, though, and it's really nice.
posted by fedward at 7:55 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Both my grandmother's and my journalism mentor's drink was Beefeater martini on the rocks, so that's my go-to (having become very good at making them for my grandmother), but a Bombay Sapphire is good too. I used to add enough vermouth to fill the martini bottle cap, but I too have gone more to 3:1 lately.

I agree that Tanqueray is perfect for a G&T but not my favorite for martinis.
posted by Gelatin at 8:14 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


My parents usually had a cocktail before dinner, and my Dad loved olives, or a pickled onion, or even capers in them. I don't care for gin, but I love the olives from a Martini, and they're nostalgic. So I bought gin and occasionally marinate some olives. Fun to take to a party(clearly labeled).

I bought fancy cherries to make Manhattans during the Bad Time, then really backed off drinking, because it's not such a good boredom-killer. It will be nice enough to use the deck, soon, though, and a Manhattan on the deck on a pleasant evening is on my agenda.
posted by theora55 at 8:24 AM on March 17, 2023 [4 favorites]


I did a while back try sweet vermouth with gin - not quite a Martinez, as I didn’t have any maraschino liqueur to add - but it was quite interesting.

Suggestion? Ransom Old Tom gin, which is rested in ex-Pinot Noir wine barrels, makes an amazing Martinez.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:35 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


In Peta Tikva I had to explain to a bartender how to make a Martini.

In Aachen a bartender asked me "do you mean a Martini cocktail?"

The struggle is real.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:00 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


Gin and sweet vermouth as a cocktail or an unchilled aperitif is usually called a Gin and It...
posted by jim in austin at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Marinated party olives... that's a good idea.
posted by ovvl at 9:08 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


my Dad loved olives, or a pickled onion, or even capers in them.

theora55, I also like pickled onions and more especially capers in my martini. I thought I might start a fight here if I mentioned that!
posted by Samarium at 9:08 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Julie Reiner's freezer Martini wasn't linked directly from the main package (I got there following the tags from Bobby Heugel's recipe) but I found it notable because of the garnish: a tomolive. What's a tomolive? It's a pickled green tomato. (Julie Reiner's recipe is also notable because it is much less diluted than Bobby Heugel's recipe is – maybe hers wouldn't solidify in our freezer. His certainly would, based on our experience so far).
posted by fedward at 9:24 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


my Dad loved olives, or a pickled onion, or even capers in them.

Caper berries are also good in a martini. Less sharp than capers, but more pungent than olives.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:26 AM on March 17, 2023 [3 favorites]


This pickled green tomato news, put a timer on it and mention it around in your areas first frost, if applicable. That’s when people are wondering what to do with them.

Anyone tried pickled nasturtium buds, a temperate alternative to a true caper?
posted by clew at 9:33 AM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


My first cocktail was a vodka martini. I didn't have any cocktails for a long while after that.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:08 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


I've always liked the (probably apocryphal) story about how Churchill, who, when asked how to make his martini, would say "No vermouth. Just give a nod toward France."

Most of those who famously eschewed even the slightest bit of vermouth in their Martinis were famous (notorious?) alcoholics who wanted to increase the ABV of their drinks.
posted by slkinsey at 10:38 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


I'm not a fan of the Frasier TV show and haven't seen much of it, but somehow I saw a short scene years ago where Niles is making martinis for himself and Frasier: after filling two glasses with gin he opens a bottle of vermouth and symbolically wafts it over each glass.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:28 AM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


but somehow I saw a short scene years ago where Niles is making martinis for himself and Frasier: after filling two glasses with gin he opens a bottle of vermouth and symbolically wafts it over each glass.

It’s the right actor (David Hyde Pierce), but I believe that is a scene from Down With Love starring Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger. It is one of my favorite sight gags although I prefer a wet and dirty martini to a dry one.
posted by gauche at 12:32 PM on March 17, 2023 [6 favorites]


I don't know how I would have seen that either, but I'll take your word for it!
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:07 PM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


It’s worth a watch! David Hyde Pierce is like Tony Curtis reborn!
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:17 PM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Espresso Martinis are simply Black Russians served up.

Nom
posted by biffa at 3:02 PM on March 17, 2023 [1 favorite]


I believe that is a scene from Down With Love

I've now seen that scene*, and it doesn't match the image in my brain. So now I don't know if Pierce did something similar in another, um, scene, or if my memory is a has-been...it's even odds at this point.

* on my computer screen - know what I mean, Gene?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:56 PM on March 17, 2023 [3 favorites]


Rumor has it that the Vodka Marketing Council or whoever paid the James Bond filmmakers to switch his iconic drink to a “vodka martini.” Too good a rumor to check, IMO.

Supported by the many Smirnoff product placements in Dr. No.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:46 PM on March 17, 2023 [2 favorites]


Awfully fond of a gin 3:1 with Boodles, maybe a splash of orange bitters... And just a couple of drops of brine...mmmmm.
posted by pt68 at 8:54 AM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]


Also in the tradition of ridiculously dry martinis: in the film Teacher’s Pet, Clark Gable makes a martini by shaking the bottle of vermouth, and running the wet cork around the rim of a glass of gin.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:12 PM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]


A splash of Dolin Blanc from the fridge, 3 Goya anchovy-stuffed olives on a skewer with maybe a teaspoon of brine, top with 3 measures Ford’s gin straight from the freezer. I don’t want Plymouth Gin anywhere near a dry martini, that’s a different drink. Noilly Prat is fine, Martini & Rossi is . . . ok I guess, Trincheri and such is a waste of a good sipping vermouth and will overshadow the subtleties of the gin. Other English and Scottish dry gins (Hendrick’s is good but overpriced, Broker’s, Boodles, and Sapphire are quite reasonable) are generally fine. The Japanese gins I’ve had are also solid. American and Canadian gins are mostly bad, with some gems at the boutique level but then you’re paying $50-100 for a bottle that should probably be more like $25. Tanqueray is not very nice but better than Seagram’s.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:38 PM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]


Ooh, and Oxley - they use a different macerating process or something. The gin enthusiast might also explore the delightful worlds of Genever and Aqvavit, gin’s close cousins.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:41 PM on March 18, 2023 [1 favorite]


Metafilter remembers Paul Deen publishing a recipe for English Peas back in 2011. Although since removed from the Food Network website, someone commented thusly (replicated via this comment):
This was fantastic! I didn't have these ingredients on hand, so instead of butter I used vodka. I traded peas for an olive and iced it down instead of heating it up. I'm still hungry, but who cares!!
posted by Dez at 11:27 AM on March 20, 2023


I love a conventional martini. It's just so umami.
So this thread was very educational for me.
That Bombay Sapphire is more suitable than, say, Tanqueray.
And that this whole "drier is better", "Churchill only ceremoniously waved the vermouth cork over the glass" was all about alcoholics maximising alcohol percentage.
And a bartenders pecuniary view of using olive brine.

Tx so much you all.
posted by jouke at 11:54 AM on March 20, 2023


I don't hate the flavor of Tanqueray in a Martini, and it's called for specifically in some of the recipes in the package linked in the FPP, but I don't buy it because I avoid Diageo.
posted by fedward at 1:34 PM on March 20, 2023 [2 favorites]


I am also a fan of the pickled herring as a garnish.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:08 PM on March 20, 2023


I picked up a gin in Australia that’s flavored with green ants but haven’t broken the seal yet. The Aussie gins I’ve tried were hit or miss.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:57 PM on March 28, 2023


« Older "Hi. I've got a tape I want to play."   |   None of these were on my 2023 bingo card Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments