I first tried to make a martini aged 16, no doubt enamoured with James Bond and with zero understanding of how the drink actually worked. I managed to do literally everything wrong. I used cheap vodka, martini extra dry that had probably been open since my 10th birthday, mixed the whole lot without ice and, predictably, it was f*cking awful.
After an understandable hiatus, the martini has returned to my life to become one of my favourite cocktails, not least because of the simplicity and nuance that can result in countless subtle variations and evolutions. In its pure form, for me anyway, the martini is now always gin based, with a touch of good dry vermouth, and a lemon twist. Feel free to swap out for vodka if you prefer, muck about with the proportions, change up the garnish for olive, onion or even a cornichon. There are no rules!
Actually, that’s a lie, but the rules for making a good martini are less about the constituent parts, and more about the technique.
- Rule 1 – Chill out – your martini needs to be ice cold. Get the spirit in the freezer, get the glassware in the freezer, get the shaker in the freezer. Stick the vermouth in the fridge (it will freeze solid)
- Rule 2 – Garbage in, Garbage out – A martini is fundamentally a canvas for your chosen spirit. Use a good one! For Vodka this is likely less of an issue but for gin, you want something with decent, clean notes, London style by preference. Your vermouth should equally be a good brand, fresh (vermouth keeps for about a week in the fridge once opened), and something you could sip neat.
- Rule 3 – Make a stir – martinis should not be shaken (there are exceptions but not many). Instead, stir them with plenty of ice and stir like your life depended on it. When you think you’re done stirring, stir some more. You’re looking to manage dilution from the ice as well and eking the last couple of degrees of chill out of the drink.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 70 ml London Dry Gin
- 10 ml French Dry Vermouth (e.g. Dolin)
- 1 dash orange bitters
Method
- Stir with ice
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
- “Express” lemon zest twist over the drink and drop it in the glass
- Drink (and don’t take too long about it. There’s nothing worse than a warm martini)
