I like 4:1 gin to vermouth, and would actually go 3:1 except that most people are unused to the taste of vermouth and so would think the cocktail to be "off". It's actually not. Remember, the martini is a mixed drink, so people who rinse the glass with vermouth before pouring the gin are really drinking gin, straight up.
So 4:1 it is. After all, a Real Man isn't afraid of a little vermouth.
There are two tricks to the martini. First, the ingredients need to be cold. I like keeping the gin (preferably Bombay Sapphire) in the freezer, because it starts ice cold. You can't keep the vermouth there, because while it won't freeze outright, it will congeal. You simply won't be able to mix it.
The second trick is that James Bond didn't know what he was talking about. You want to stir the pitcher, not shake it (keep the shaker for when you're building daiquiris). Fill the pitcher about half way with ice, add the gin and vermouth (don't skimp on vermouth, if you're a Real Man), and stir to combine. If you shake, you'll get a ton of ice crystals making the final poured drink into a cloudy mess.
I like to fill the glasses (proper martini glasses, 'natch; crystal is an optional added touch of class) with ice water while I attend to the pitcher. This will make the glasses ice cold, ready for the ice cold libation. Olive is obligatory, but the ones stuffed with blue cheese or garlic or jalapenos let you go for a walk on your wild side. Good gin will stand up to all of these. Extra olives, though, please.
Oh, and a dinner jacket is a very nice garnish. A boutonniere and a SIG are obligatory, sorry.
I'll freely admit to not caring for dry vermouth. I like the glass rinsed with it, or even just misted on the top once the gin is poured.
ReplyDeleteIf you're drinking good gin, that's fine. (If you haven't tried Hendricks, you must. Ditto for Seneca Drums, which is a regional thing and perhaps not available in your area.)
Sorry Ted i HATE Gin too like Petrol for my taste's.
ReplyDeleteAnd thus, more confirmation that I am not a Real Man. I've only tried a 'regular' martini once, and I wasn't impressed...but, I'm not a fan of gin(I'd rather lick a juniper bush than drink gin).
ReplyDeleteI've never tried a vodka martini, but, I mean, if you aren't putting gin in it, why call it a martini...
Now that I'm 2.5 strong months into my New Years Resolution to drink no beer at home, maybe I'll start playing with cocktails some more...
SCOTCH... :-)
ReplyDeleteI acquired a Vermouth atomizer used for spraying a fine mist in a safe direction away from the gin and the glass.
ReplyDeleteSeems to work great for extra-extra dry Martinis.
Bombay Sapphire or Plymouth gin are preferred here.
Once upon a time the Martini was made with sweet vermouth instead of dry vermouth, and orange bitters was part of the recipe, too. Those are variations that have made a comeback in recent years.
ReplyDeleteWhat NFO said....or a very old bourbon.
ReplyDeleteCan you make a Martini without the vermouth or gin, using Rum instead?
ReplyDeleteAs I recall, Bond used a Walther PPK in .32 (although, in earlier episodes there was mention of a Baretta in .25).
ReplyDeleteGin is a waste. Vodka in mine, please.
ReplyDeleteOr better yet, no Martini - bourbon, single malt scotch or a Hornitos tequila Margarita!
Saw a pre-War Walther PPK (with the marbled Bakelite stocks) in .32 at a gun show, once.
In the box. Nope, couldn't afford it!
To mix the perfect martini take one bottle of gin one bottle of vermouth, drink both quickly then run around a field to mix.
ReplyDeleteOh and vodka is paint stripper.
I see we share the same taste - good choices!
ReplyDeleteb
I'm an 8:1 gin vermouth guy. I like the taste of gin, and find vermouth gross overall, but I like to taste it in the drinks, but only as an accent.
ReplyDeleteI add a dash of vermouth to most of my mixed drinks, it almost always works.
And yes Bond in the Flemming books carried a Beretta Jetfire .25 until it was replaced by a .32 PPK.
In the Garner Books he carried a bizzare mix from a FN 1903 in 9mm Browning Long (yeah I had to look it up to)
To an H&K VP70, to an ASP 9mm (decent choice).
I frankly see the P99 first hoisted by Pierce Brosnan in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (hands down his best film) is one of the wisest Choice for a Bond gun.
For the time frame of the 1950/60 The PPK is one of the best choices.
Tho 70s on, a West German SIG P5 seems to be what Bond would ACTUALLY carry in his shoulder holster under his dinner jacket.
Well, at least someone remembers martinis are made with gin and vermouth. Somewhere between 4:1 and just saying "vermouth" over the glass.
ReplyDeleteActually, though, I prefer gin & tonic to martinis, and I'm a Tanqueray guy (though Bombay Sapphire is good too).
Ironically (for given values of irony), I wore (like both my father and my wife's at their weddings) a white dinner jacket to my wedding.
A group of pilots were talking about what they carried in their emergency kits in case they crashed in the bush. One said he carried gin, vermouth, olives, a shaker and a cocktail glass. Asked why, he replied, "because as soon as I start making a Martini, some one is bound to show up to tell me I'm doing it wrong."
ReplyDeleteAnd I prefer a Gibson Martini.
I wouldn't leave the gin in the freezer - part of the mixing is dilution with water, which doesn't happen when the ingredients start off too cold. You do want to keep the vermouth fresh though. Like wine, it will go stale and oxidized if left exposed to oxygen.
ReplyDeleteMake mine 2:1 gin to vermouth, with a lemon twist.
And a Colt 1903.