The traditional martini is clear, potent, and a very sexy cocktail.
The martini is the drink of James Bond, Park Avenue executives and cocktail connoisseurs everywhere. Dispute over the exact origin continues, but it appeared on the scene more than a century ago. To this day martini drinkers have their absolute favorites, and purists quibble over whether to serve shaken or stirred. The original martini is gin and vermouth but vodka is also a traditional martini staple.
Instructions
Stirred
1. Chill the martini glass by filling it with ice while you prepare the drink. Prepare martinis one at a time, not in a large batch.
2. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in 1/2 oz of the vermouth and very gently stir it .
3. Dump the ice from the glass. Pour vermouth from the bottle around the rim. Use the liquor spout on the bottle to control the flow -- the idea is to just coat the glass and get rid of water residue from the ice. Once the vermouth has run down to coat the inside of the glass, dump it in the sink.
4. Gently pour the vermouth from the shaker down the drain.
5. Add 3 1/2 oz. of gin or vodka to the cocktail shaker and stir. Strain into the martini glass.
6. Skewer an olive or cocktail onion on a pick, and place in the glass, or add a thinly sliced lemon or lime twist as garnish. Serve immediately.
Shaken
7. Chill a martini glass by filling it with ice while you make the drink.
8. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 3 shots, equaling 3 oz. of vodka or gin. Mix in 1 oz. of dry vermouth. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to chill the liquor.
9. Dump the ice from the martini glass and swirl a small amount of vermouth around the rim, letting it coat the glass. Dump any remaining vermouth down the drain.
10. Pour the liquor from the shaker into the glass through the strainer. Add an olive or cocktail onion on a pick, or a lemon or lime twist for garnish. Serve immediately.
Tags: martini glass, cocktail shaker, Chill martini, Chill martini glass, coat glass, cocktail onion, cocktail onion pick
