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Martini

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By , About.com Guide

Martini Cocktail with Olives

Martini Cocktail with Olives

Photo Credit: © Colleen Graham licensed to About.com
The classic Martini is one of the drinks that every bartender should know. There are many ways to make a Martini: gin or vodka, little or no vermouth, stirred or shaken and an olive or lemon twist garnish. One drink, so many options.

Many other drinks are referred to as a Martini. Although this recipe is the original, we must go along with society in some respects and here are more of those Martini recipes.

View Video: The Modern Martini

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 oz gin
  • 1/2 oz dry vermouth
  • 1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish
  • orange or Angostura bitters (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes.
  2. Stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  4. Add a dash of orange or Angostura bitters if desired
  5. Garnish with the olive or lemon twist.

There are many variations on the classic martini that are a personal preference:

  • Dry Martini- Traditionally uses more dry vermouth, however recent trends define a Dry Martini as using little or no vermouth.
  • Bone Dry or Desert Martini- No vermouth.
  • Gibson- Garnish with a cocktail onion.
  • Perfect Martini- Use equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
  • Dirty Martini- Add a small amount of olive brine.
  • 50-50-Use equal parts of gin and dry vermouth.
  • Vodka Martini- Replace gin with vodka for a nice alternative.
Poll: How Do You Prefer Your Martini? View Results

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User Reviews

 4 out of 5
Notes on Vermouth in Martinis, Member JohnJomtien

There tends to be an all-or-nothing view of how much Vermouth to use in a martini. It really depends on the gin used. I say gin, because vodka has no taste, so when you add vermouth to a vodka ""martini"" the drink simply tastes like the vermouth you added. Vermouth is used in a gin martini to balance out the somewhat cloying taste of juniper. Hence if your gin has little juniper and many other ingredients to balance out the juniper already, only a small amount of vermouth is needed. I include Beefeaters, Bombay Sapphire in this category. If your gin is strong on Juniper then more vermouth is better. Certainly Gordons, and Old Raj and to a lesser extent Tanqueray do well with a little more vermouth in the mix. In a perfectly balanced gin like Plymouth the answer lies somewhere in between. I wholeheartedly concur with the earlier reviewer who recommends care in the choice of Vermouth brands and in the storage of the open bottle.

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