Your best classic martini recipe...

[chperry]

I agree. A martini without vermouth is NOT a martini.

Also, don't even talk about a vodka martini. That is NOT a martini.

[robbyvirus]

I have discovered a new gin that I really like in my martinis...Zuidam gin, from Holland. Very tasty. I've also recently started drinking my martinis "dirty", that is with a little bit of the olive juice from the bottle thrown in. Very nice. If you like your martinis with bitters, though, this probably wouldn't go together so well...I'd go for one or the other.

[cowdery]

I agree. A martini without vermouth is NOT a martini.

Also, don't even talk about a vodka martini. That is NOT a martini.

We are of like minds.

I want to be clear that I'm not trying to tell anyone what to drink. Drink whatever you like, just don't call it a martini.

[barturtle]

While I agree with your statements about a martini being gin and vermouth (in my case with a twist), I believe that the fact that more and more cocktails are being called martinis, is not simply due to stupidity, but to the demise of the traditional cocktail glass, and since all these drinks need a serving container the next most logical choice is the martini glass, hence they are not so much claiming to be a tradtional martini, but are simply being served in a martini glass. In other words, it's kinda like being forewarned that you are going to receive this drink in a glass that is easy to spill and will get warm quickly as there is no room for ice.

[BourbonJoe]

Drink whatever you like, just don't call it a martini.

I agree most fervently.

Joe :usflag:

[Gillman]

There was a time when a kind of cottage industry arose of Martini jokes. 40's-70's was its classic era.

Common punch line: "that's no way to make a Dry Martini".

Gary

[cowdery]

While I agree with your statements about a martini being gin and vermouth (in my case with a twist), I believe that the fact that more and more cocktails are being called martinis, is not simply due to stupidity, but to the demise of the traditional cocktail glass, and since all these drinks need a serving container the next most logical choice is the martini glass, hence they are not so much claiming to be a tradtional martini, but are simply being served in a martini glass. In other words, it's kinda like being forewarned that you are going to receive this drink in a glass that is easy to spill and will get warm quickly as there is no room for ice.

I acknowledge that this is true, most definitely is true, in fact, but I still object to the practice. A drink is a drink, not a glass. What would I get if I walked into a bar and ordered a tumbler?

[barturtle]

What would I get if I walked into a bar and ordered a tumbler

These days? Most likely a confused look, as they tryed to figure out why the heck you were ordering a gymnast!:slappin:

Ask for a highball and they'll probably tell you to go find the corner pusher, as well.:bigeyes:

[elkdoggydog]

Now you've done it, guys. After reading this thread, I've started making martinis, and really enjoying them. Now I have to keep gin and dry vermouth in my cabinet, too. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

[robbyvirus]

Yes, this thread has made me get out the shaker tonite as well. Just made me a big 'ol martini with Zuidam gin! oh yeah!

[cowdery]

Yes, this thread has made me get out the shaker tonite as well. Just made me a big 'ol martini with Zuidam gin! oh yeah!

So, talk to me about this Zuidam gin.

[TimmyBoston]

There was a time when a kind of cottage industry arose of Martini jokes. 40's-70's was its classic era.

Common punch line: "that's no way to make a Dry Martini".

Gary

Anybody got any of these jokes? ???

[ratcheer]

Here's one:

A new park ranger was just about to complete his training. His last assignment was to man a one man station deep in the back woods, for a month. He asked his mentor if he had any advice on dealing with being alone for such a long time.

"Sure", came the reply. "You just need a bottle of gin, some dry vermouth, and a martini shaker."

"You mean", asked the young ranger, "I just deal with it by getting drunk?"

"No", came the answer. "As soon as you start making martinis, a hundred people come out of the woodwork to tell you how you're doing it wrong."

[CrispyCritter]

Recently, I tried an old-old-old-school version of the Martini, aka the Martinez. I'm finding I prefer this to the previous recipe I tried.

I'm finding it best with:

• 1-1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire
  
• 1 oz. Noilly Prat white vermouth (yes, that's right, 1.5:1!)
  
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur (Cointreau could be used, in its place, for a different taste)
  
• A dash or two of orange bitters

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a cherry.

The Luxardo adds a sweet touch that nicely counterbalances the gin and vermouth, and the bitters add a nice touch of complexity as well. Good stuff!

Next up will be to try red vermouth, which was used first.

[cowdery]

Interesting, but I don't think I'll be trying it. For my taste, the vermouth is overpowering at any ratio above 4:1. Of course, I've never tried the other ingredients, but I suspect the gin gets pretty lost in this recipe.

I can see where all of the "very dry martini" notions come from, because it's easy to use too much vermouth and ruin the drink.

[CrispyCritter]

At 5:1, I find the gin to be overpowering. The trick is to find just the right balance for your taste.

Tonight, after a Red Hook with Old Overholt, then a classic Manhattan with OGD BIB, I tried another Martinez - this time trying 3:1 (2 oz. Bombay Sapphire, 2/3 oz. Noilly Prat white vermouth). I think this is just the right ratio for me - the gin isn't overpowering, and isn't too muted. With about 1/3 oz. of maraschino and a couple of shakes of Regan's orange bitters, it all comes together into a gestalt that transcends all of the ingredients.

I'm finding that I greatly prefer the Luxardo and the cherry garnish over an olive. Remember, though, a little Luxardo goes a long way! That 750 ml. bottle will last a very long time, so it's well worth the price.

I think I'm going to have to mail-order some more Regan's, though - I've only seen it once in Chicagoland, and my bottle's less than half-full now. Surprising as it may be, it's a lot easier to get Peychaud's around here. Note, however, that I'm very glad that Peychaud's is easy for me to get!

[darkluna]

My martini-drinking usually comes in waves. I haven't had one in a long time, but when I get into them, I drink them quite regularly.

I prefer a milder Gin -- ones with less of a peppery taste to them. My favorite martini gin was Tanqueray Malacca, but by no longer produce it. I found Hendricks (a Scottish! gin) to be a suitable replacement.

I pour a capful of vermouth into the well-chilled glass, coat and dump. Then I stir the gin in lots of ice. I like the gin really cold, so I stir it a lot. I never shake, I don't want huge ice-chunks in my drink.

I don't use bitters, and rarely use a garnish. Dirty martinis are just....nasty. My wife prefers a pearl-onion garnish (which makes it a Gibson, technically).

I'd like to find some of those old-style cocktail glasses that you see a lot in old movies (William Powell's Thin Man comes to mind). They are really small compared to today's modern martini glasses.

[CrispyCritter]

Earlier tonight, I tried another Martinez variation. Instead of regular red or white vermouth, I used Punt e Mes, but otherwise, it was 3:1 using Plymouth gin, and some Luxardo maraschino. Just for kicks, I used peach bitters instead of orange. Effectively, it was a lot like a Red Hook, but with gin instead of rye.

It was very good, but the gin was a bit muted compared to the same recipe with a standard red or white vermouth. I think I could go with 4:1 for a Punt e Mes-based Martinez, to bring out a bit more of the gin's flavor.

As for red vs. white vermouth, either makes a great drink - though they're quite different. Punt e Mes is not an ordinary red vermouth, though - and that's a good thing.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Right now I am drinking a martini, Tanqueray, Noilly Pratt Red Vermouth and a shake of Hermes Orange Bitters. No ice or water. Really nice! Looks like, but doesn't taste like, straight bourbon about 4 years old.

Ed

[ratcheer]

I just had a great martini, my best ever.

What happened? I poured too much vermouth (about an ounce), so I had to use a lot of gin (about 2 oz). This resulted in a fairly "wet" ratio of about 2:1.

The drink was excellent. It was so big I used three olives, instead of the usual two.

Tim

[bluesbassdad]

Tim,

In my book a martini is "big" when there's room for an avacado.

(I wonder whether I'll still find that funny when this WT RR wears off.)

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[robbyvirus]

So, talk to me about this Zuidam gin.

Hey Chuck, sorry I didn't respond sooner...I just now noticed this question when reading the new posts to this thread. I got the Zuidam at BevMo a few months ago, and I really like it in martinis. It's made in Holland, and I suspect it's fairly new. They sell two gins, Zuidam Dry Gin, and a Genever Gin which I haven't tried yet. I like the Dry Gin a lot...smooth, tasty, heavy on the botanicals. Not sure how widespread their distribution is, as I've only seen it at BevMo.

[Gillman]

There is an old dispute in liquor circles whether the Martinez is the ancestor of the Martini cocktail. The Martinez was well described earlier in the thread, i.e., gin (Old Tom, a sweetened type, was originally used), red vermouth, Maraschino liqueur - which is not sweet and quite different from the cherry juice of the same name - bitters. I think the drinks have the same origin since the main elements are the same (gin, vermouth) albeit different versions were used for each. Basically the drink got drier and simplifed.

I think the key is the term Dry Martini, still understood although possessing something of a period ring and not normally used when ordering or referring to the drink today. This must have been the original name of the Martini which in effect was a dry Martinez. Therefore, it used dry vermouth not sweet and dry gin not Tom gin. I surmise the meaning of Dry Martini changed too, to a drink using less rather than more dry vermouth. How is the Spanish (evidently) word Martinez pronounced? Is the "z" pronounced like the Canadian "eh"? If so I think this supports the interpretation suggested. If not, this does not mean the common origin theory is incorrect although I might give it less credence in that case.

There are many alternate explanations for the origin of the term Martini. One that is ostensibly persuasive is that a bartender of this name made the cocktail at the Knickerbocker bar in New York before WW I in the 1900's. Apparently a tape recording survives which attests to this, made by the gentleman in question or someone who worked with him. Martini was his first name, Martini de ... I can't recall now what his second name was - the full story is recounted in Frederic Martin's urbane Encyclopedia of Drinks and Drinking (late 60's-era). However I have read lists of drinks available from wholesalers that referred to Martini cocktails which are circa 1900 and before that. Also, the term Martini appears (sometimes together with the term Martinez) in some late 1800's bar manuals. Therefore the drink as we know it today must have predated the 1910's in New York City.

Of all the theories I have read, I think the most logical is that Martini is a corruption of the term Martinez.

Gary

[ratcheer]

I always assumed (I know, assumptions are dangerous) that the term martini resulted simply from a cocktail made with Martini and Rossi vermouth. You have obviously given it a lot more thought than I.

I have heard two common ways of pronouncing Martinez, differing mainly by which syllable is accented. mar-TEEN-ez or mar-tin-EZ. The former seems more prevalent, to me. Both variations end with an actual Z sound, as I have heard them.

Tim

[cowdery]

According to William Grimes in Straight Up or On the Rocks, the martini is part of a religious cult. It even has a martyr, the author Sherwood Anderson, "who succumbed to peritonitis after swallowing the toothpick from a martini olive."

About the name, he says:

"The British assume it originated with the Martini & Henry rifle ...known for its strong kick."

"The Italians assume (it) comes from Martini & Rossi Vermouth."

He cites the Martinez theory, which is supported by Jerry Thomas' book, but says that theory "rests on sand." It first appears in print, not in Jerry's 1862 book, but in O. H. Byron's book in 1884. Then Thomas picks it up in 1887.

The Knickerbocker Hotel bartender was Martini di Arma di Taggia. In 1912, he introduced a drink with equal parts gin and dry vermouth.

Grimes seems to be saying that the name may be derived from either the Martinez or the Italian bartender but the drink itself as we know it today evolved over time and didn't really have a creator.