A Guide to Making a P̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶ Preferred Martini

The Martini is a king in the pantheon of cocktails. Sipped and celebrated like no other from the golden age to the madmen era and beyond. Ever charming and pleasing yet no one really knows the secret to its allure. Maybe it’s the refined aesthetics - A crystal clear drink served on an iconic v-shaped glass that reminds you of the cool of the day or it’s the way it tastes - invigorating yet sippable.

A more salient point would be that the Martini is so famous because it is so simple - a two-ingredient drink that also comes with a wealth of possibilities. Gin or vodka? How much? Shaken or stirred? Wet or dry? What the Martini lacks in ingredients it more than makes up for in its intriguing personality - the devil is in the details.

The King of Cocktails and Opinions

Drinkers and bartenders have been debating on the “right or perfect” way to create the Martini. Naturally, there is a vast variety of literature dazzled with strong opinions of how the "perfect” Martini should be made. 

While there is a strong appeal in discovering flavour varieties from different techniques, the heavy clout of guides and varying opinions on what is socially acceptable in the art of making and drinking a Martini is largely distasteful. Alas, a deterrent for those of us who are just stepping into the world of this famed cocktail. 

Preferred, Not Perfect 

As in the wise and comforting words of Victoria Moore, A wine critic and a drink writer - “Don't expect anyone to agree about how dry a martini should be”. We all could learn that there is no “right” or “perfect” way of creating or drinking a Martini. There is only the preferred way or to put it more directly, “your” way. 

That said, we are not going to discuss the best way to create a perfect Martini but rather the best way to work out your preferred Martini. And where to begin? You may wonder. Well, it all starts with a good basic recipe.

Basic Martini Recipe

The basic recipe to making a martini is as follows:

• 50ml of Gin (Gordon’s Dry Gin or Hendricks Gin)
• 10ml of dry Vermouth (Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth)
• Chilled Martini Glass
• Lemon twist or olives (optional)

Instructions

Add dry vermouth into the chilled martini glass and swirl to coat the inner surface of the glass. Pour gin into the glass and stir gently. You may add olives or lemon twist for garnish and voila.

Your Own Martini: How to Make it?

Now that we have set out the basics for Martini making, we shall delve into the ingredients and preparation choices to help you get started on figuring out what works best for you.

Gin or Vodka?

The original Martini was prepared as a Gin cocktail. However, over the years, drinking pallets of consumers evolved and have left room for Vodka to enter the scene. Even though Vodka is infamously known for its lack of flavour and is therefore versatile in the world of cocktails, changing one ingredient in a drink that has only two recipes inevitably alters the Martini’s character radically.

In the Ultimate Bar Book written by Mittie Hellmich, it is implied that “ a Martini is structured on the perfect botanical balance between gin’s juniper berry and dry vermouth’s herbal qualities”. Conversely, Vodka, a deliberately neutral spirit can be seen as a party duller. 

However, there are still vodkatini fans around. One that we are familiar with is James Bond. Bond drinks his Martini with Belvedere Pure Vodka - known for its perfectly soft spirit and silky smooth texture. This Vodka of choice even got a gin fan, Victoria Moore to confess that she is partial to Vodkatini made with Belvedere Vodka. Gin or Vodka, just follow your heart desires for there is no right or wrong.

How Much Vermouth?

How much Vermouth to use is dependent on the type of Martini (dry, wet, perfect) we want to achieve. 

Dry or Wet Martini

How dry a martini is, depends on the amount of Vermouth used. The lesser amount of Vermouth used the “drier” the Martini. A dry Martini typically ranges from a 5:1 or 8:1 Gin to Vermouth Proportion. The more amount of Vermouth used, either 2:1 or 3:1 Gin to Vermouth ratio, the “wetter” and sweeter the Martini will be. 

Early martinis tended to be very wet, made with equal parts of Gin and Vermouth. Yet somehow as the world evolved, Vermouth became an inconvenient extra, a sidekick whose only role was to remain in the dark while making the star of the show shine even brighter.

Perfect Martini

A Perfect Martini is akin to earlier martinis made with equal measures of Gin/Vodka and Vermouth. This results in a more flavourful yet lower AVB cocktail. Perfect for a sipping session.

Shaken or Stirred?

When mixing a drink, no matter the technique, the goal is to dilute, chill and blend the ingredients. While cocktails are famously known to be shaken in a cocktail shaker, bartenders argue that shaking a Martini would bruise the taste quality of it. Ice melts quicker when the mixture is bashed around in the mixing tin. This results in a weak and watered down Martini. 

As a general rule, any drinks that are made with spirits - unsweetened distilled alcoholic beverages such as Vodka, Gin, Brandy, Whiskey, and Tequila should be stirred and not shaken. This is because they are equal in density so all you need to blend the spirit cocktail properly is a bar spoon and proper stirring action. 

Then again, there are scientific reasons to shake a martini. Research has shown that shaking allows air oxidation to take place and this helps with removing very volatile organic compounds from the alcohol. When using vodka, made from potatoes, shaking will make an emulsion hiding the natural oily taste of a potato-based vodka.

To shake or not to shake, the verdict is still yours to make. 

The Finishing Touch: Lemon Twist or Olive?

We have come to the finishing touch of making a Martini - Garnishes. The classic garnishes for a Martini are a twist of lemon peel, squeezed over the surface of the drink or a green olive sunken to the base of the Martini glass.

Lemon

The lemon twist is a go to garnish for Martini. Nothing makes for a bright crisp Martini like a spritz of lemon oil. 

Olive

However there is also an appreciation for the salty appeal of a cold large and unpitted olive sitting in the bottom of a delicate glass of Martini. The infusion effect of the olive and Martini results in a savoury drink equivalent to a snack. A liquid snack as coined by Alex Day, co-author of Cocktail Codex.

The Taste of Freedom

We hope that you’ve caught an eye on some methods that you would like to try or discovered your preferred style of Martini along the way. Remember dry or wet, shaken or stirred, lemon or olive, the choice is rightfully yours. In the end, what matters is that you get to enjoy your Martini the way you want it without the world telling you how you should want it - the taste of freedom. 

To empower you on this journey of freedom, we at Cellarbration offer good quality Gin, Vodka and Vermouth at affordable prices and not only that, we offer free alcohol delivery for all you budding Martini connoisseurs who purchase above $99 or more. Happy carting and crafting!