 A martini with an olive garnish | |
| Type | Cocktail |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | |
| Website | iba-world |
| Standard drinkware | Cocktail glass |
| Standard garnish | Olive orlemon twist |
| Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
| Preparation | Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir or shake well. Strain into chilled martini cocktail glass. |
Themartini is acocktail made withgin andvermouth, and garnished with anolive, alemon twist, or both. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A common variation, thevodka martini, usesvodka instead of gin for the cocktail's base spirit.
By 1922, the martini reached its most recognizable form in whichLondon dry gin anddry vermouth are combined at a ratio of 2:1, stirred in a mixing glass with ice cubes, with the optional addition of orange or aromaticbitters, then strained into a chilledcocktail glass.[1] Over time, the generally expected garnish became the drinker's choice of a greenolive or a twist oflemon peel.
Adry martini in modern terminology is made with a dash or only a hint of vermouth.[2] Ordering a martini "extra dry" will result in even less or no vermouth added. In theRoaring Twenties, it became a common drink order. Over the course of the 20th century, the amount of vermouth steadily dropped. During the 1930s, the ratio was 3:1 (gin to vermouth), and during the 1940s, the ratio was 4:1. During the latter part of the 20th century, 5:1 or 6:1 dry martinis became considered the norm.[3] Drier variations can go to 8:1, 12:1, 15:1 (the "Montgomery", after British Field MarshalBernard Montgomery's supposed penchant for attacking only when in possession of great numerical superiority).[4]
In 1966, the American Standards Association (ASA) released K100.1-1966, "Safety Code and Requirements for Dry Martinis", a tongue-in-cheek account of how to make a "standard" dry martini.[5] The latest revision of this document, K100.1-1974, was published byAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI), the successor to ASA, though it is no longer an active standard.[6]
The exact origin of the martini is unclear. The name may derive from the ItalianMartini brand of vermouth.[7] Another popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called theMartinez served sometime in the early 1860s at theOccidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town ofMartinez, California. Alternatively, residents of Martinez say a bartender in their town created the drink,[8][9] while another source indicates that the drink was named after the town. Indeed, a "Martinez Cocktail" was first described inJerry Thomas's 1887 edition of hisBartender's Guide, How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks:[10]
- Take 1 dash ofBoker's Bitters
- 2 dashes ofMaraschino
- 1 pony [1 fl oz] ofOld Tom gin
- 1 wine-glass [2 fl oz] of [sweet/Italian] vermouth
- 2 small lumps of ice
- Shake up thoroughly, and strain into a large cocktail glass. Put a quarter of a slice of lemon in the glass, and serve. If the guest prefers it very sweet, add two dashes ofgum syrup.
Other bartending guides of the late 19th century contained recipes for numerous cocktails similar to the modern-day martini.[11] For example,Harry Johnson'sBartenders' Manual (1888) listed a recipe for a "Martini Cocktail" that consisted in part of half a wine glass of Old Tom gin and a half a wine glass of vermouth.[12]
- Fill the glass up with ice
- 2 or 3 dashes of gum syrup
- 2 or 3 dashes ofbitters; (Boker's genuine only)
- 1 dash ofCuraçao
- 1⁄2 wine glassful [1 fl oz] of Old Tom gin
- 1⁄2 wine glassful [1 fl oz] of [sweet/Italian]vermouth
- Stir up well with a spoon, strain it into a fancy cocktail glass, squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top, and serve.
The "Marguerite Cocktail", first described in 1904, could be considered an early form of the dry martini, because it was a 2:1 mix ofPlymouth dry gin and dry vermouth, with a dash of orange bitters.[13]
In his 1907 bartenders' guideThe World's Drinks And How To Mix Them, San Francisco mixologist William Boothby provided possibly the earliest recipe for a "Dry Martini Cocktail" not only resembling a modern-day martini in the ingredients, but also under that name.[14] Attributing it to one Charlie Shaw of Los Angeles, Boothby's book gave the recipe as follows:
Dry Martini Cocktail, à la Charlie Shaw, Los Angeles, Cal.
Into a mixing glass place:
- Cracked ice
- Two dashes orange bitters
- Half ajigger of dry English gin (any good brand)
- Half a jigger of French vermouth
Stir until thoroughly chilled and strain into a stem cocktail glass, squeeze a piece of lemon peel over the top and serve with an olive.
The first dry martini is sometimes linked to the name of a bartender who concocted the drink at theKnickerbocker Hotel inNew York City in 1911 or 1912.[15]
DuringProhibition in the United States (1920–1933) the relative ease of illegal gin manufacture led to the martini's rise as the locally predominant cocktail. With the repeal of Prohibition, and the ready availability of quality gin, the drink became progressively drier. In the 1970s and 1980s, the martini came to be seen as old-fashioned and was replaced by more intricate cocktails andwine spritzers, but the mid-1990s saw a resurgence in the drink and numerous new versions.[2]
The traditional martini comes in a number of variations.
Aperfect martini uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.[16]
Adry martini contains more gin. Some recipes advocate the elimination of vermouth altogether; the playwrightNoël Coward is credited with the assertion that "a perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy."[17] Similarly, theChurchill martini supposedly favored byWinston Churchill uses no vermouth, and is prepared with gin straight from the freezer and a "glance" at a bottle of vermouth,[18] or a "bow in the direction of France".[19][20][a]Luis Buñuel used the dry martini as part of his creative process, regularly using it to sustain "a reverie in a bar". He offers his own recipe, involvingAngostura bitters, in his memoir.[22]
Awet martini contains more vermouth; a50-50 martini uses equal amounts of gin and vermouth. Anupside-down orreverse martini has more vermouth than gin.[23]
Adirty martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is typically garnished with an olive.[24] Anextra dirty martini typically contains twice the amount of olive brine or juice.[25]
Adirect martini ornaked martini is a regular martini, but prepared by storing the gin in afreezer and then pouring the gin directly into the serving glass with the vermouth instead of stirring it with ice first. This method allows the drink to be served very cold but without the dilution that the traditional stirring method adds. This style of martini is mainly associated with and popularized byDukes Hotel Bar inLondon.[26][27]
A martini may also be served on the rocks—that is, with the ingredients poured over ice cubes and served in anold fashioned glass.[28]
AGibson is a standard dry martini garnished withcocktail onions instead of olives.
The Yale Cocktail is a 6:1 martini with equal parts vermouth and eithercrème de violette orCreme Yvette, which impart a blue color, and Angostura bitters.[29]
A vodka martini is acocktail made withvodka andvermouth, a variation of a martini. A vodka martini is made by combining vodka,dry vermouth and ice in acocktail shaker or mixing glass. The ingredients are chilled, either by stirring or shaking, then strained and served "straight up" (without ice) in a chilledcocktail glass. The drink may begarnished with anolive, a "twist" (a strip oflemon peel squeezed or twisted),capers, orcocktail onions (with the onion garnish specifically yielding a vodkaGibson).[30]
A trend that started in the 1980s, was to use the term "martini" to refer to other mostly-hard-liquor cocktails such asManhattan,Cosmopolitan, whose commonality with the original drink is the cocktail glass in which they are served. There is some debate as to whether or not these are true martinis. In a similar vein, there are "dessert martinis" that are not a drink, but are served inmartini glasses.
Some newer drinks include the word "martini" or the suffix "-tini" in the name (e.g.,appletini, peach martini, chocolate martini,breakfast martini). These are so named because they are served in a cocktail glass. Generally containing vodka, they have little in common with the martini. Aporn star martini is a variation of a vodka martini. The vodka is vanillaflavored, and is served withpassion fruit juice, accompanied by ashot ofProsecco.[31]
Anicotini is anyalcoholic drink which includesnicotine as an ingredient. Its name is modeled after the word "martini" in the fashion of such drinks as theappletini. It often exudes anamber color.[33]
Martinis are often used in art to symbolise joy and closure.[34]
[The old-fashioned glass] is increasingly used these days [mid-1970s] by people who prefer their martini 'on the rocks' instead of 'up'—that is, in the rather more fussy and more precise cocktail-glass type of preparation.
Its closest cousin is a Gibson before the onion goes in, while it's just gin and dry vermouth. The Yale takes a different path to get further aroma and requires no garnishes.
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