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The
Martini
The
Martini is perhaps the ”king of all cocktails”.
Much has been written on this royal drink and many connoisseurs
have added to the fact and fiction surrounding this drink.
To many, the martini is the ideal aperitif. but a good martini
requires good ingredients and should be served very cold.
Today the dry martini is usually made with French vermouth
although Italian vermouth was used in earlier recipes (along
with Old Tom gin) and is still used to make a sweet martini.
Martinis
should be “stirred not shaken” and most recipes
call for clockwise stirring (unless of course you are in the
southern hemisphere in which case you should stir anti clockwise).
The direction is important they say because the stirring should
be very gentle and not be upset by the Earth’s corriolis
forces;
Perhaps
for the last word on the subject....
“I
love to drink a martini,Two at the very most;After three I’m
under the table,After fourand I’m under my host.”
What
You will need:
- 1/2
oz French Vermouth
- 1
oz English Gin (very cold)
- 2
dashes of Angostura or orange Bitters (optional).
Method:
- Fill
a mixing glass with cube ice and gently pour the gin into
it.
- Add
vermouth and stir gently clockwise;
- Strain
and serve in a 3 oz cocktail glass with an olive or a twist
of lemon.
Variations:
Martini
addicts disagree vehemently on the correct ratio of Gin to
Vermouth. Some go so far as to claim that it is sufficient
to wave the Vermouth bottle over the gin. Seriously though
using 10 parts gin to 1 part vermouth is not uncommen.
Also
common is to substitute vodka for the gin to produce a vodka
martini.
The
Sweet Martini
Generally
made using 1 part Italian Vermouth to 2 parts Gin and omitting
the bitters.
If
making a sweet martini substitute a Maraschino Cherry for
the olive. If you do not do so, the drink is called an “abomination”.
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