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While we're on the subject of gin: A martini is comprised of gin, vermouth and between 0 and 3 olives. If there is no vermouth it isn't a "bone dry martini".
by mauvehaus 7y ago
While we're on the subject of gin:
A martini is comprised of gin, vermouth and between 0 and 3 olives.
If there is no vermouth it isn't a "bone dry martini". It's just "a glass of cold gin".
The modifiers "perfect" and "dirty" are also permissible when applied to to a martini.
If it's made with vodka, not gin, it's a vodka martini.
Other concoctions served in a cocktail glass are just cocktails. Which are fine, but please don't co-opt the name "martini" because it sounds cosmopolitan.
Wait.
Shit.
- arethuza 7y agoI have watched a barman prepare an oyster martini - which was about as odd to watch as it presumably was to drink.
- wholepointofcc 7y agoThis actually sounds delicious, I'll get some oysters next Friday by the street market, thanks
- jghn 7y agoIf it has vodka instead of gin it’s not a vodka martini, it’s a kangaroo
- namdnay 7y agoTo be pedantic, a martini is comprised of gin, vermouth, and the water from the ice. If you try making one without ice (e.g. with a freezer) it's too strong
- easytiger 7y agoA lot of places in America serve room temperature non melted martinis. Pretty horrible.
- namdnay 7y agoMost places in France think that when you order a Martini you want a glass of vermouth, not a cocktail. And if you give them the ingredients they will say "ah like a vodka martini but with gin?" ...
- chkuendig 7y agoThat's mostly because "Martini" is the prevalent brand of vermouth in central Europe. It's super confusing... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_%26_Rossi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_%26_Rossi
- oarabbus_ 7y agoBut France is Western Europe, not central. Is it the prevalent brand there too? >Usually the countries considered to be Central European are Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland; in the broader sense Romania and Serbia too, occasionally also Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- draw_down 7y agoYeah, the extra dry martini thing is silly. You can just say you want a glass of gin.
- crookshanked 7y agoAdding to the fun, swap out olives for a cocktail onion and you have yourself a Gibson.
- mstade 7y agoIncidentally, this is also the name of one of the best bars I know: http://thegibsonbar.london http://thegibsonbar.london The owner is the amazingly talented Marian Beke[1], whom I got to know while living in London and frequenting Nightjar, another fantastic establishment – in the same neighbourhood no less! If you're ever in the area, you should definitely go for a visit. NB: Beyond being a bit of a drunkard, I have no affiliation with any of the above. [1]: https://www.diffordsguide.com/people/11764/bar-owner/marian-beke https://www.diffordsguide.com/people/11764/bar-owner/marian-...
- unethical_ban 7y agoI love Gibsons - I went through a phase about two years ago of ordering them at every bar I went to. It worked out, since I was doing a tour of cocktails bars in Manhattan.
- mittsquinter 7y agoMmmm... I realized a few years back I can have both! A Gibtini? Yum.
- wry_discontent 7y ago> Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel I've found I really like the Vesper martini. It's more floral and refreshing than the traditional one
- cgriswald 7y agoI'm skeptical of a recipe that calls out its gin, but not its vodka, and also refers to a lemon twist as "a large thin slice of lemon peel." Not so skeptical that I won't try making it with several types of vodka. But skeptical nonetheless.
- eyko 7y agoI'm not so skeptical, since Vodka is not generally added for the flavour or aromas (which get clouded by almost any other ingredient anyway) but more likely to add texture, to tone down the flavour profile of another spirit without having to water it down, and sometimes even for economy when using more expensive spirits. Any decent brand of Vodka will generally do the job. I'm now in an "americana" gin phase (st. george, distillery 209, etc) since they're not as commonplace here in Europe and I've been known to mix them with just commercial Vodkas whilst experimenting with a few cocktail recipes. I do that more with barrel aged gins -- the flavours of oily or smoky spirits don't easily work in cocktails so toning them down tends to produce some more interesting results.
- tptacek 7y agoDifferent gins have very different flavor profiles. The entire point of vodka is not to have distinct characteristics (Dave Arnold's favorite vodka is potable lab ethanol diluted to 40%, and Dave Arnold has forgotten more about liquor science than most of us will ever learn).
- girzel 7y agoI feel like vodka only comes in two classes: "noticeably bad" and "not noticeable".
- jkaptur 7y agoLooking at the bottle of vermouth while stirring the gin provided enough vermouth for Churchill and it provides enough for me.
- deadmetheny 7y agoA solemn nod in the general direction of France is sufficient, and don't skimp on the olives.
- mcguire 7y agoThe horrors that man perpetrated on a whisk(e)y and soda....
- buckhx 7y agoI thought just a glance towards France was enough for the ol' British Bulldog
- chrisdhoover 7y agoThere is a great bracing joy in having an occasional classic proportioned martini. 4:1 with a splash of Regans. Stirred until completely cold and poured in an ice cold martini glass. It connects you with all the great martini drinkers of the past. For a moment you are sitting with Myrna Loy and William Powell engaged in carefree and sarcastic conversation all the while ignoring the depression gripping the country.
- jl6 7y agoAs an outsider, this sounds like marketing material from alcohol vendors that their customers use to justify their drug use...
- chrisseldo 7y ago“Martinis are the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet.” -H. L. Mencken
- zer00eyz 7y agoA long time ago I learned the saying: The only things I ever did that I regret.... I did while drinking gin!