The Martini

[slkinsey]

First I ask about what vermouth they have and how old the bottle might be, it it looks like that might be dicey. After that, I find that they tend to pay more attention to the vermouth situation. Then I'll say something like: Tanqueray Martini, [slowly] two to one, stirred with a twist. Tip in a dash or orange bitters if you've got 'em.

[weinoo]

Erik,

When we're in bars that are not places we've been before, we'll ask what type of gin and dry vermouth they're using..if they're acceptable, then we'll just ask for a 4 to 1 martini with a twist (most olives served in bars are scary to me as I watch the bartender reach in with his or her fingers!). Now, if they have orange bitters (pretty rare), nothing wrong with asking for a dash of them too! Or, if you're carrying, just add 'em yourself.

Just this past week, I watched a bartender make my wife a Manhattan (bourbon based as there was no rye to be had and 2 to 1 as specified). When I noticed he didn't put any bitters in, even though there was a bottle of Angostura right on the bar, I asked him to please put a healthy dash in as well- he looked surprised and told me most people don't like the bitters added - so sometimes you just gotta specify exactly what you want!

Edited to add - What Sam said!!

Edited May 25, 2007 by weinoo (log)

[slkinsey]

Now, if they have orange bitters (pretty rare), nothing wrong with asking for a dash of them too!  Or, if you're carrying, just add 'em yourself.

My how times and circumstances have changed now that the question "are you carrying?" can be interpreted to refer to bitters!

[stolincuervo]

Now, if they have orange bitters (pretty rare), nothing wrong with asking for a dash of them too!  Or, if you're carrying, just add 'em yourself.

My how times and circumstances have changed now that the question "are you carrying?" can be interpreted to refer to bitters!

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Hmmmmmmmmmmm. So true Sam. So true. LOL

[Alchemist]

I like making martinis for myself two to one gin-vermouth, the vermouth depending on which gin I'm rocking changing Tanq-Noilly, Old Raj-Vya, orange bitters and then an whisper of oil from an orange twist, promply discarded. That allmost sounds like not a martini. If an onion changes a martini to a Gibson...

And speaking of a "Perfect" martini, how about...

3 oz Junipero

1 oz dry Verm. Noilly

1/2 oz sweet Verm. Antica

O. bitters, same garni as above

Edited because I haven't slept in days...the bar I am opening taking up 22ish hours of my day.

Edited June 8, 2007 by Alchemist (log)

[jmfangio]

Now, if they have orange bitters (pretty rare), nothing wrong with asking for a dash of them too!  Or, if you're carrying, just add 'em yourself.

My how times and circumstances have changed now that the question "are you carrying?" can be interpreted to refer to bitters!

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I never really gave any thought to carrying my own, but now something like this perfume bottle keychain looks like a must have.

[eje]

Weird!

Martinis are in the air this week.

Robert over at Explore the Pour has an interesting article where he contemplates the possibility of 9,204 different potential Martinis:

9,204 Different REAL Martinis and Counting…

And Anita over at Married with Dinner has a nice essay about Dorothy Parker and her Martinis:

DOTW: Classic Martini

By the way, I have yet to perfect my Martini ordering strategy. I usually order saying something similar to Sam's, "Tanqueray Martini, [slowly] two to one, stirred with a twist. Tip in a dash or orange bitters if you've got 'em." Maybe I just need to enunciate more clearly.

[Nathan]

I like making martinis for myself two to one gin-vermouth, the vermouth depending on which gin I'm rocking changing  Tanq-Noilly, Old Raj-Vya, orange bitters and then an whisper of oil from an orange twist, promply discarded.  That allmost sounds like not a martini.  If an onion changes a martini to a Gibson...

And speaking of a "Perfect" martini, how about...

3 oz Junipero

1 oz dry Verm. Noilly

1/2 oz sweet Verm.  Antica

O. bitters, same garni as above

Edited because I haven't slept in days...the bar I am opening taking up 22ish hours of my day.

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oooh....that sounds good. I might try that tonight.

I first tried 3-1 Junipero and Antica and that just didn't work.

3-1 with Noilly was darn good. I might try that with a touch of Antica...now.

[Nathan]

By the way, I have yet to perfect my Martini ordering strategy.  I usually order saying something similar to Sam's, "Tanqueray Martini, [slowly] two to one, stirred with a twist. Tip in a dash or orange bitters if you've got 'em."  Maybe I just need to enunciate more clearly.

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I usually say: "______ gin martini, very very very wet. orange bitters if you have them, angostura if you don't." this seems to reliably get me about a half ounce of vermouth.

[thirtyoneknots]

By the way, I have yet to perfect my Martini ordering strategy.  I usually order saying something similar to Sam's, "Tanqueray Martini, [slowly] two to one, stirred with a twist. Tip in a dash or orange bitters if you've got 'em."  Maybe I just need to enunciate more clearly.

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I usually say: "______ gin martini, very very very wet. orange bitters if you have them, angostura if you don't." this seems to reliably get me about a half ounce of vermouth.

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If people don't specify, I usually go around 2:1 with tanqueray or 3:1 with plymouth (house pour), but I'm surprised at how many people seem to be at a loss for how to interpret the word 'wet'. It's always fun to see people taste a properly preportioned martini who may have never had one before. It also gives the rest of the people to feel justified for all the talk about how little vermouth is necessary to introduce into their drink. I'm probably the only bartender in the county (college town) who would put more than a dash of vermouth in at all. Then they get to go talk about how that wretched bartender nearly put VERMOUTH in the MARTINI but I stopped him before he polluted the precious Grey Goose, blah blah blah. So whatever we all our kicks out of it.

-Andy

[Alchemist]

By the way, I have yet to perfect my Martini ordering strategy.  I usually order saying something similar to Sam's, "Tanqueray Martini, [slowly] two to one, stirred with a twist. Tip in a dash or orange bitters if you've got 'em."  Maybe I just need to enunciate more clearly.

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I usually say: "______ gin martini, very very very wet. orange bitters if you have them, angostura if you don't." this seems to reliably get me about a half ounce of vermouth.

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We need a term for very very wet. How about soaking, drenched, vermouth logged, sopping wet...

More to come

[slkinsey]

A piece entitled "Raising a toast to the martin" appeared recently in the Houston Chronicle in Kristin Finan's "Kristin2Go" column. Within, the columnist talks with Christa Bradley, a bartender at the Davenport lounge which claims to have more than 70 "types" of Martini. The column, as much about the Sex and the City movie as it is about cocktails, makes particular mention of the Cosmopolitan.

Interestingly, the Chronicle ran the following letter to the editor:

Like many of my contemporaries, I struggle constantly to prevent my inner curmudgeon from surfacing to rail against the abundant evidence of the utter decay of Western civilization. But the Chronicle has crossed a line that cannot in good conscience be ignored.

In Friday's Chronicle an article appeared that used the term "martini" to refer to some vile concoction involving vodka and cranberry juice, among other things better left unmentioned. (Please see "KRISTIN2GO / Raising a toast to the martini," Page One.) Has the Chronicle no decency?

The word "martini" should never be used for anything but an admixture of gin and dry vermouth, garnished with an olive (Ian Fleming notwithstanding). A murrain on your cattle!

JAMES KINSEY

Unfortunately the Chronicle's editors changed the original "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" to "Has the Chronicle no decency?" -- but one suspects that the copy editors of the Letters section may not be old enough to get the reference. Overall, a fun letter and one could say that I was brought up to agree with this viewpoint!

[MattJohnson]

It's always fun to see people taste a properly preportioned martini who may have never had one before. It also gives the rest of the people to feel justified for all the talk about how little vermouth is necessary to introduce into their drink.

-Andy

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I agree totally! When my wife and I started trying to make drinks, it was a revelation. She "hated" gin before. Now she's a regular drinker of the classic martini.

[brinza]

A piece entitled "Raising a toast to the martin" appeared recently in the Houston Chronicle in Kristin Finan's "Kristin2Go" column.  Within, the columnist talks with Christa Bradley, a bartender at the Davenport lounge which claims to have more than 70 "types" of Martini.  The column, as much about the Sex and the City movie as it is about cocktails, makes particular mention of the Cosmopolitan.

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I loved this quote:

"I always drink cosmos," Nuñez said. "If it's made right, you don't taste the vodka, but it doesn't taste like cranberry juice, either.

Any time someone brags to me about a restaurant that offers XX number of different kinds of martinis, I reply, "Oh, they have a cocktail menu, then." Then I usually get, "But they have 27 different martinis!." Uh-huh.

I was in one place that had a about a half-dozen "_____-tini" drinks on their menu, and one was called a "Margeri-tini." It consisted of:

Tequila

Triple Sec

Lime juice

I'm still trying to figure out where the "tini" part comes in. I because it's served in a "tini" (read: teeny) glass.

[jsmeeker]

For a lot of people, anything served up in a "martini" glass (i.e. a coctkail glass) gets tagged with the -tini suffix.

Now, usually, drink menus filled with drinks like this tend to be vodka based drinks. But every now and then, you'll find one that isn't and is actually pretty decently crafted and thought out.

[Scott Koue]

I tried a very interesting variation today.

3:1 martini (Gordons, noilly) no bitters but We have lemon verbena (sp?) growing out side. I know you can make tea out of it so it's not toxic. Anyway a picked three leaves, rinsed them and put them in the shaker and shook the drink and strained. Probably would find another method since this leaves some little green specks floating around. But very nice floral/ lemon/ lime kind of hind. Very tasty.

[Vieux Carré]

First things first: About a half a century ago my father taught me to make his favorite drinks for him: First, Gin & Tonic and Tom Collins (it was summer) and then the Martini and the Old Fashioned. I’ve been making mixed drinks every since, but about a year and a half ago I stumbled upon this forum and the quality of my cocktails has greatly improved to my (and my guests’) considerable pleasure. I offer a tip of the hat and a deep bow to all of you on this forum who have helped improve my understanding of the cocktail. Thanks.

Now for my question: I like martinis. While there are many wonderful cocktails, none surpasses a good martini. In reading through various posts it has become quite clear that most people seem to have a clear idea of how they like their own martini. They have figured out the right gin, the right vermouth, the right ratio of gin to vermouth. I, on the other hand, like my martinis many ways. It depends on the day and what seems right at the moment. I have many different gins in my bar and I rotate vermouths frequently. What I’m wondering is if there are any combinations of ingredients that seem to work together best. For example, when I want a martini garnished with an olive, I prefer Junipero and Noilly Prat mixed 3 to 1 with Fees Orange Bitters. But when I feel like a twist, that combination just doesn’t work for me. The best martini with a twist I have had is a 7 to 1 209 and Vya with Reagan’s No. 9 (yes, Embury's ratio and close to what my father taught me). Unfortunately, it was the last 209 in the bottle and I haven’t been able to get any more. So, my question is what combination of gin, vermouth, ratio, and bitters seems to work for you given the garnish of olive, twist, or that crazy pickled onion that I sometimes crave in a Gibson.

[KatieLoeb]

My standard "ginny" gin is Plymouth. That's my favorite with an olive. I'm usually about 8:1 on my gin:vermouth ratio - 3 oz. gin to a generous 1/4 oz./scant 1/2 oz. of Noilly Prat dry.

For a twist, I like a citrusy gin. I gotta give a shout out to my local Philly Bluecoat gin. It's just delicious with a lemon twist. Pretty tasty with an orange twist and Lillet, too. I'm a bit more generous with Lillet than with dry vermouth. Probably an ounce of Lillet to 3 oz. gin.

I don't know how to drink Hendricks except with an onion. An olive or a twist cover up all those lovely subtle aromatics for me. But it makes a fine Gibson or an excellent Gimlet with homemade lime cordial.

Those would be my best combinations.

Scott - I love the lemon Verbena idea! I'm going to have to play with that. I am fortunate enough to have a farmer at my disposal who grows lovely herbs. Summer is coming. This definitely requires further exploration...

[Chris Amirault]

With a twist, a 3: or 4:1 martini with Whitley Neill gin, old NP, and a half n half orange bitters (Fee's and Regan's) is just the thing with a lemon twist. I tend to make Fitty Fittys or 2:1s with Tanqueray or Junipero and the old NP if I want to add three olives.

I like the old NP. What can I say.

[thirtyoneknots]

Not a big fan of green olives so I never put them in my own drinks but I'm right there with you on mood dictating not just what to drink, but how to mix it. If I don't want to think about it very much, its usually 3:1 Beefeaters:NP with a dash of whatever orange bitters are handy (usually a 50/50 Regans/Fees mix). Twist of lemon of course though occasionally I do orange or grapefruit for fun.

Welcome to the discussion!

[MattJohnson]

My standard "ginny" gin is Plymouth.  That's my favorite with an olive.  I'm usually about 8:1 on my gin:vermouth ratio - 3 oz. gin to a generous 1/4 oz./scant 1/2 oz. of Noilly Prat dry.

For a twist, I like a citrusy gin.  I gotta give a shout out to my local Philly Bluecoat gin.  It's just delicious with a lemon twist.  Pretty tasty with an orange twist and Lillet, too.  I'm a bit more generous with Lillet than with dry vermouth.  Probably an ounce of Lillet to 3 oz. gin.

I don't know how to drink Hendricks except with an onion.  An olive or a twist cover up all those lovely subtle aromatics for me.  But it makes a fine Gibson or an excellent Gimlet with homemade lime cordial.

Those would be my best combinations.

Scott - I love the lemon Verbena idea!  I'm going to have to play with that.  I am fortunate enough to have a farmer at my disposal who grows lovely herbs.  Summer is coming.  This definitely requires further exploration...

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The local store had a coupon for 10% for any bottle of booze so I picked up some Hendricks (a splurge for me). I read somewhere that it has a distinct cucumber note and I thought I could smell it when I gave it a go. So rather than an olive or lemon, I tried just squeezed a slice of cuc gently and dropped it in the tin while stirring (I didn't muddle) and I thought it turned out well. I thought it amp'd the cuc notes without covering up the rest of if.

On the other hand, maybe I just really like cucumber.

[db_campbell]

The local store had a coupon for 10% for any bottle of booze so I picked up some Hendricks (a splurge for me). 

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I don't believe I could have escaped the 25+ yr malt aisle under such circumstances.

[MattJohnson]

Believe me, I thought about it. Pretty sure the wife wouldn't have approved. Although I'm pretty sure there's an applicable saying about seeking forgiveness rather than permission...

[KatieLoeb]

The local store had a coupon for 10% for any bottle of booze so I picked up some Hendricks (a splurge for me).  I read somewhere that it has a distinct cucumber note and I thought I could smell it when I gave it a go.  So rather than an olive or lemon, I tried just squeezed a slice of cuc gently and dropped it in the tin while stirring (I didn't muddle) and I thought it turned out well.  I thought it amp'd the cuc notes without covering up the rest of if.

On the other hand, maybe I just really like cucumber.

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Matt:

I really like cucumber too. The onion works in the Hendricks because it's a bit of a "salad-in-a-glass" thing to me. The onion and the cucumber notes seem to work together. Plus, as I said upthread, the alternatives just don't work for me in the Hendricks. But that's me...

You could also shake the martini with the slice of cuke and bruise it up a bit in the ice and then double strain it. That might be the best solution in between what you did and muddling it and risking turning it bitter.

I just made up a batch of cucumber, lemon and dill infused gin for oyster shots. It's brilliant, even if I do say so myself. I think this flavor will sell like hotcakes.

Edited May 18, 2009 by KatieLoeb (log)

[MattJohnson]

I just made up a batch of cucumber, lemon and dill infused gin for oyster shots.  It's brilliant, even if I do say so myself.  I think this flavor will sell like hotcakes.

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That sounds awesome! I love the idea of the dill. Wish I could stop by and have a half dozen oysters and a couple drinks.