Martini Recipes

Gin Martini Recipes

Probably no other drink is surrounded by so much mystery and mystique as the Martini. Martini drinkers are reputed to be among the most sophisticated and knit-picky of imbibers. That makes it even more fun, because making the perfect Martini is very simple.

Many bartenders panic when a Martini is ordered. I have never had one sent back. I have had many requests for the recipe. Fostering my own mystique, I have guarded the recipe as a valuable secret.

What Martini drinkers really want, although few will admit it, is very cold, watered down gin. It is no big trick to chill two ounces of gin. But what about the vermouth? That's the tricky part, right? Nah.

Follow these steps, in order, and you cannot miss:

1. Fill a cocktail glass (or a champagne glass) with ice and add water. Ice water chills a glass quicker than will ice alone.

2. Pour a dash (doesn't matter how much) of dry vermouth into your metal cocktail shaker.

3. Pour the vermouth into the sink. Just dump it out. (Don't let the customer see you do this.)

4. Fill the shaker with ice and add two ounces of gin. Use a good gin, even if one was not specified. Using the handle of a long bar spoon, stir the mixture lightly. Shaking or stirring too vigorously will "bruise" the gin. That just means that it gets cloudy. It will eventually clear up, but you don't have time for that.

5. Being careful to handle the glass by its stem dump the ice water.

6. Strain the very cold, watered down gin (which now contains a hint of vermouth) into the chilled glass.

7. Put one or two olives on a long toothpick. The ends of the toothpick should rest on the rim of the glass. Do not put the olive in the drink. Let the customer do that if he or she so desires. You want the drink to look good; a film of olive oil takes away from the presentation.

Keep in mind that the human hand is warm, almost 99 degrees. That is why a cocktail or Martini glass has a long stem; the heat from your hand will warm the liquid. That is also why a brandy snifter has a short stem and a fat bottom; brandy is supposed to be warmed by the hand. Handle the Martini glass by the stem.

If a customer orders a Gibson, simply substitute a cocktail onion or two for the olive(s). Again, do not put the onions in the liquid; let the toothpick rest on the rim of the glass. If, however, the customer orders a Martini with a twist, put the twisted piece of lemon peel directly into the drink. The oil from the lemon will make the drink look a tad funky, but that's what the customer expects.

A lemon twist is the peel only. It does not mean a wedge of lemon. Whack the ends off of a lemon. With a sharp paring knife, cut lengthwise from top to bottom; cut about three quarters of the way through the peel. Repeat, making the strips about an eighth of an inch wide. Peel the strips off the fruit, being careful not to pick up any juice or pulp. Before tossing it in the drink, give it a vigorous twist; it is the oil in the lemon peel that gives the desired flavor.