The definition of Martini

[GordonCooks]

As a young man who prefers a traditional cocktail i.e. dry Martinis and Single Malts or Bourbons.

I would like your opinion on the use of the word “Martini” put on anything in a martini glass. Before – Martini, Gimlet, Gibson etc.etc…. Now, Chocolate Martini, Euphoria Martini, Sake-tini. Maybe I’m just being a stickler for tradition.

[Kingcocktail]

Hi Gordon,

Well Gordon,

I am also a gin straight up martini drinker but having said that I make a portion of my income each year by crafting those new-age martinis for restaurants and spirit companies.

The Martini since it’s inception in the 1870s has been an evolving drink. It started out with sweet gin and sweet vermouth to which any numbers of other ingredients were added over the years. And even when dry gin and dry vermouth were finally married in the fist “dry” martini at the Knickerbocker Hotel in NYC, orange bitters was still part of the mix and the vermouth and gin were used half and half. The extra dry martini of recent years is just another stage in the on going evolution of the drink.

I am encouraged by one aspect of this new age martini movement it heralds a healthy growth of creativity and enthusiasm in a profession which has been stagnant for years. They can call it whatever they want as long as it tastes good.

Remember the cocktail itself was a very narrow catagory in the beginning...spirits, a mixer, and bitters but by the end of the 19th century a cocktail was any mixed drink with spirits, and there are many people still upset about that term.

Dale