UPDATED 22 February, 2013

The Martini is often mixed, rarely perfected, and always argued about. One of the oldest quips about the Martini is that you can have a very good drink with vodka and vermouth, but it isn't a Martini. The classic Martini is, simply put, gin and dry vermouth, or basically cold alcohol with style. Yet with all that is known about what constitutes a Martini, unique and refreshing Martini recipes continue to surface almost daily. The ingredients and the way to mix them are forever argued about, leading to the classic bartender joke:

Two adventurers were packing for a safari and one of them was packing a pint of gin and a pint of vermouth. When the other adventurer asked why, the first replied, 'In case we get lost I'll mix a Martini, someone will show up to argue that I did it wrong, and then we're saved!'

Terminology

Wherever you get a Martini, it will be mixed differently, with the ingredients and proportions changing according to either your personal taste or that of the bartender, although there are some standard terms that are worth knowing. The first of these relates to the vermouth, and the quantity of it.

Sweet Martini

There are two common types of vermouth, sweet and dry. A sweet Martini uses sweet vermouth with its spirit.

Dry Martini

As the name suggests, this type of Martini uses a dry vermouth.

Wet Martini

When mixing both Dry and Sweet Martinis, the usual practice is to swirl the vermouth in the glass to line it with the flavours, but so as not to overpower the spirit the vermouth is then thrown away. A Wet Martini doesn't believe in this wastage of alcohol and once the glass is coated the vermouth is mixed in with the spirit.

Dirty Martini

One of the lesser ingredients that is considered essential to a Martini (and to a Gargleblaster) is an olive, and a Dirty Martini emphasises this by adding a small amount of the brine from the olive jar to the top of the poured Martini.

The second set of terminology you'll come across relates to the ingredients themselves, and comes down to Vodka or Gin. Vodka Martini is primarily vodka with vermouth, but depending on who mixes it, it may also contain some gin. Likewise a Gin or plain Martini is primarily gin with vermouth, but may also contain some vodka. The exact amount of vodka and gin in each of these two styles varies dramatically depending on the named recipe, who mixes it and how much their elbow slips.

Mixing

There is and always will be a lot of debate, ingredients aside, about how to mix the perfect Martini. Should it be shaken, or stirred? Garnished, chilled, iced, and pretty much anything else an adventurous bartender may try. Taste is personal, so rather than dictate we shall try to educate about the different methods that can be employed, starting with the two most contentious.

Shaken

When you shake a cocktail the ingredients get mixed harshly. This has the plus side that the spirits are blended together very well, but it also has the downside that any delicate flavours in them can be 'bruised' and lose some of their character.

Stirred

When stirred, the flavours of the individual ingredients remain but can be detected separately by a discerning palate.

Chilled

The easiest and most common way of chilling a Martini is to add ice cubes when mixing it. When a spirit is chilled, the 'edge' is removed from it. Taking the sharp edge from spirits makes them easier to drink, and therefore more palatable. An additional side to this is that as the ice melts, water is blended in with the spirits to dilute the Martini. Some people prefer this as a pure-spirit Martini can be a bit overpowering. If you are going to use ice, do make sure to remember that the water it was made from will become part of your cocktail.

Garnish

As with all food, and therefore also with drink, adding a garnish can drastically change the taste. The classic garnish for a Martini is an olive, but a pickled silver-skin (cocktail) onion and occasionally a maraschino cherry are also added. Additionally lemon rind is considered a classic garnish and adds a slight citrus edge to the spirit.

Recipes

Regardless of what people may tell you, the best Martini is the one you enjoy the most, so experiment with different recipes and see what you like best. To help you with this, here are some of the more common ones that you'll find:

Basic Martinis

• Two parts gin
• One part dry vermouth
• Dash orange bitters

• Four parts spirit
• One part dry vermouth

• Six parts gin
• One part dry vermouth

• Twelve parts spirit
• One part dry vermouth

• Four parts gin
• One part dry vermouth
• One part sweet vermouth

• Three parts spirit
• One part sweet vermouth

• Four parts vodka
• One part dry vermouth

Advanced Martinis

The above Martinis will pass inspection in any bar you chose, but some will yearn to imbibe a more adventurous libation where the only resemblance to a Martini is the gin, or vodka, and vermouth. Remember that no Martini is complete without the vermouth. Have faith in the vermouth – your friends (or customers) will thank you.

• Two parts vodka
• One part apple schnapps
• One part triple sec
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Four parts vodka
• One part Midori Melon Liquor
• One part Chambord Raspberry Liquor
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Two parts vodka
• One part blue curaçao
• One part sour mix
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Four parts pepper vodka
• One part dry vermouth

Optionally garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper (or a fresh chilli pepper, for the brave).

• Four parts vodka
• One liberal dash of vanilla vodka²
• One part white crème de cacao
• Two drops dry vermouth

Optionally garnish with shaved dark or white chocolate depending on your mood.

• Four parts gin (you can use vodka, but it's not recommended)
• Two drops dry vermouth
• Generous dash cognac

• Three parts vodka
• One part sweetened lime juice
• One part triple-sec
• One part cranberry cocktail
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Three parts vodka³
• One part chilled espresso
• One part coffee liquor
• One dash dark crème de cocoa
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Four parts spirit
• One part dry vermouth

Best garnished with the onions.

• Four parts gin (can use vodka)
• One part sweetened lime juice
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Two parts vodka
• One part Liquor 43 (Cuarenta y tres)
• One part sweetened lime juice
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Two parts citrus vodka
• One part triple sec
• One part sweetened lime juice
• Two drops dry vermouth

Garnish the cocktail glass first by wetting the rim with a lemon slice and coating it in powdered sugar, placing the lemon slice on the rim. Combine in shaker over cracked ice, stir and strain into prepared cocktail glass.

• Two parts spirit
• One part apple schnapps
• One part cranberry cocktail
• One part triple sec
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Three parts vodka
• One part scotch
• One part sweet vermouth

• Four parts Stolichnaya Razbery vodka
• One part Chambord Raspberry liquor
• Dash sweetened lime juice
• Four drops Martini and Rossi Dry Vermouth

Garnish with frozen raspberries in bottom of cocktail glass.

• Four parts vodka
• Two parts coconut rum
• One part banana liquor
• Two drops dry vermouth

Garnish with a pineapple spear.

• Four parts tequila (100% blue agave is best, but any gold works well)
• One part dry vermouth

• Six parts gin
• Two parts vodka
• One part blond Lillet
• Two drops dry vermouth

• Three parts vodka
• One part triple sec
• One part blue curaçao
• Two drops dry vermouth

And Finally

This is by no means a complete list of possible Martinis to be made and enjoyed. It is more of an introduction to the wonderful world of the Martini, and the joy that it can bring to everybody, regardless of taste. By all means, experiment and enjoy! Life with a Martini is life the way it should be! Always remember, no Martini is ever made twice, no matter how exactly you measure, so each one represents a unique and beautiful experience to be savoured!