Demystifying the Martini

chillibreeze writer — Sneha Bhat

A splash of dry vermouth, two shots of gin, an olive or two – and your classic Martini is ready to serve! The martini epitomizes style and sophistication; it is the most glamorous of all cocktails. It seemed to have become a favorite among many ever since James Bond ordered his martini ‘shaken, not stirred’ in the classic 007 film, Dr. No. A martini stands out from other cocktails for its unique taste and simplicity of preparation.

The origins of the martini are shrouded in mystery. However, many believe that it was created by a Californian bartender and named after the town Martinez. Even as people still seek the perfectly-made martini, bartenders around the world put forth new variations of the cocktail. Whether these new entrants can be termed as ‘martinis’, however, is debatable.

Making a mean Martini
A traditional martini is made with gin and dry white vermouth, topped with a crisp green olive. Gin is strong liquor flavored with juniper berries and is generally used as a base for making other drinks. Vermouth, the other key ingredient of a martini, is a fortified dry or sweet wine flavored with various herbs, seeds, and plants. The amount of vermouth used in the modern martini has become considerably less. Martini connoisseurs would know that the dryness of the martini is determined by the amount of vermouth added. The drier the martini, the lesser the vermouth used to make it.

The classic Martini
A classic martini is prepared with equal parts of gin and dry vermouth. The key to a well-made martini is to chill the bottle of gin, the cocktail glass, and the shaker in the freezer prior to mixing. Some prefer to use cold vermouth, but tradition calls for it to be kept at room temperature. Ice is often dismissed as insignificant while making a drink. However, it is intrinsic to a martini because it helps combine the gin and vermouth.

The ‘shaken, not stirred’ martini ordered by James Bond raked up a controversy as to whether the drink should be shaken or stirred. Martini purists claim that shaking the drink ‘bruises’ the liquor, as the ice melts quickly, making the martini slightly weak. Also, shaking the drink is said to make it cloudy instead of clear. Clear drinks are always subject to a gentle stirring, so you do not lose the original flavor and yet succeed in blending all the ingredients. The barware that goes into making a good martini are often overlooked. The long-stemmed martini glass, often called the “classic cocktail” glass, adds an elegant touch to the drink itself. An authentic martini glass will hold 900 milliliters of liquid. A good cocktail shaker or mixer is a necessary tool behind the bar. There are three types of cocktail shakers – Cobbler, Pitcher and Boston. The cocktail shaker serves not just to mix the drink, but also to cool it quickly.

Sprucing up the Martini
There are primarily two variations of the classic martini: the Sweet Martini in which one uses sweet red vermouth and the Perfect Martini prepared with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. Vodka has become a common substitute for gin although purists frown upon this practice. A vodka martini, however, is as enjoyable as a gin martini and is sometimes infused with various fruity flavors.

While there are hundreds of evolving recipes for martinis, there are a few that are frequently-ordered. The ‘dirty martini’ is a popular version wherein olive brine is added for that extra zing. A Gibson is a typical dry martini garnished with pickled onions instead of olives. A gin martini prepared without ice but by using chilled ingredients is known as ‘naked martini’. For an ‘in-and-out’ martini, a small amount of vermouth is poured into the glass, swirled around and the excess is disposed. The Cosmopolitan martini has a combination of various fruit juices, the most common ones being orange and cranberry.

The image conjured up by the word martini is incomplete without the quintessential green olive. It is the Spanish olive that is commonly used in a martini. Different martinis call for an assortment of unique garnishes like lime, lemon twist, orange, peppers, stuffed olives, anchovies, etc.

Martinis today have become a fusion of various liqueurs, fresh fruit juices, and enticing flavors. Thanks to experimental martini epicureans all across the world, we are exposed to a variety of zestful martinis. After all, who can refuse a delectable Chocolate Martini – a wishful blend of chocolate and liquor?

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in December, 2009. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Sneha says, "A Mumbai-based freelance writer and editor, I have completed my post graduation in Sociology from Mumbai University. Owing to my passion and enthusiasm for languages, I found myself in language editing and content writing in the past two years. My professional experience has been mainly in creative content writing. Currently, I am a Research Intern with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. My other areas of interest include art, music, French, yoga, cooking, film, travel and photography. My dream job is to work with Discovery Travel & Living!"

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