A drink that has launched a thousand heated arguments: The Martini

Shaken, stirred, dirty or dry: there are many ways to make the perfect Martini, and just about as many opinions about which method is the best. It seems that everyone – from master bartenders to amateur mixologists, from Martini business lunchers to casual after-work drinkers – think they’ve got the magic formula deciphered.

“The only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” — H.L. Mencken

The Popularity of the drink could also be vested with Ernest Hemingway in his A Farewell to ArmsI’ve never tasted anything so cool and clean…They make me feel civilised,” Marlene Dietrich, David Niven and Humphrey Bogart, who were seen drinking martinis in public or on-screen, and everyone wanted to drink them as well. But perhaps no real or fictional character has done as much for the martini as James Bond has with his famous “Shaken and not stirred” line.

The word Martini is a nostalgic passport to another era — when automobiles had curves like Mae West, when women were either ladies or dames, when men wore hats, when a deal was done on a handshake, when boxing and polo were regular pastimes, when we lived for movies instead of MTV, and when jazz was going from hot to cool. It was a time when a relationship was called either a romance or an affair, when love over a pitcher of Martinis was bigger than both of us, sweetheart, and it wouldn’t matter if the Russians dropped the bomb as long as the gin was wet and the vermouth was dry. That was Martini Culture.”—The Martini, Barnaby Conrad, III

As is the case with most of the classic cocktails, no one seems to know the exact origins of the Martini. Historically, when it came to cocktails, things weren’t always written down.

There are several different myths and stories surrounding the birth of the Martini.

  • One theory is that it was invented in Martinez, a Californian city during the gold rush around 1849. Apparently, a gold miner who had recently struck gold decided to celebrate at a local bar. He ordered Champagne, which of course the bar was out of, so the bartender concocted another cocktail from ingredients he had on hand: gin, vermouth, bitters, maraschino liqueur, and a slice of lemon. And so, “The Martinez Special” was born. However, it is impossible to verify as there seem to be no documents to support this claim.
  • This theory is not supported by many who assert that the actual birthplace of the Martini was the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco. Jerry Thomas who was the bartender at the Occidental Hotel is said to have invented this drink after a miner requested a pick-me-up before catching the ferry to Martinez. This claim is supported by the appearance of the Martinez in the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s The Bar-Tender’s Guide. The only problem with this theory is that the 1887 edition was published two years after Thomas’ death and Jerry Thomas never mentioned or referenced the Martinez in any interviews. Also, the Martinez in this book has caused a lot of confusion since there is little resemblance to a Martini as it calls for sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur & old tom gin.
  • There is also another story about a bartender called Martini di Arma di Taggia at Manhattan’s Knickerbocker Hotel who is said to have whipped up a concoction that blended London dry gin, Vermouth, and orange bitters in 1912 for John D. Rockefeller. Even though this recipe is very much like the Martini we know today, rather than the earlier sweeter versions, there is written proof that Martinis had been mentioned years before he mixed them. Also, we do know that the Heublein Company had been selling pre-mixed Martinis since 1892, nearly a decade before this event occurred.
  • Many have also argued that it was a clever marketing ploy by the vermouth makers “Martini & Rossi” in 1863 for customers asking for a Gin & Vermouth.
  • The English have claimed that the drink was named for the Martini & Henry rifle which was used by the British Army between 1870 to 1890. According to them, both the rifle as well as the cocktail deliver a kick!

One must admit that we’ll probably never know the true origin of this king of cocktails as most of the stories are impossible to verify. However, the following are the order of the first few written references to this cocktail:

But just to clarify things first, the Martini is made with Gin and not Vodka. Also, it has been widely accepted that the Martini evolved from a Martinez which in turn is said to have emerged from a Manhattan.

The first recipe for the Martinez appears in The Modern Bartender’s Guide by O.H Byron in 1884 – “Martinez Cocktail: Same as Manhattan, only you substitute gin for whisky”.

Thursday, 18 February 1886 issue of The Rock Island Argus mentions a Martini Cocktail “A Martini cocktail is served at our fashionable club houses, and consists of one-half of orange bitters, same quantity of Old Tom gin, and made the same as an ordinary cocktail with a drop of absinthe added.” Obviously, whoever wrote this recipe messed up!

Sunday, 13 February 1887 issue of the New York Sun article called “New York’s Day of RestThey are most interested in experimenting with the latest cocktail. There always is a latest cocktail in Upper Broadway. The last one was the ‘green tea cocktail’, the one before that was the already ancient “Manhattan”, and now they are coquetting with a subtle compound of gin and vermouth, which they call ‘the Martini,’ though its name is spelled ‘Martinez.’ It is one of those drinks that give the worth of their cost, and necessitate a man’s standing under a pile driver to have his hat put on next morning.”

The first known recipe for a Martini appears in the 2nd edition of Harry Johnson’s Bartenders Manual of 1888 in which he calls for Gum Syrup, Bitters (Boker’s genuine only), Curacao, Old Tom Gin & Vermouth.

      50/50 MARTINI

      INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ oz. Gin
  • 1 ½ oz. Dry Vermouth
  • 2 dashes Orange Bitters
  • Garnish: Thin cut lemon Peel

      DIRECTIONS

  • Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass.
  • Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  • Twist a lemon peel on top of the drink and garnish with it.

What is the proper ratio of Gin to vermouth in a martini?

Ever since the cocktail was created, the ratio has changed over time.  As discussed earlier, the Martini predecessors made it with sweet vermouth. But the first thing one needs to understand here is that “dry” does not mean that vermouth is omitted from the drink. The “Dry Martini” was a moniker that was originally used to indicate that the cocktail is made with dry vermouth and NOT sweet vermouth. Currently, it has nothing to do with the style of vermouth being used and everything to do with the quantity of vermouth in the glass. Today: the lesser the vermouth, the drier the Martini!

  • At the turn of the 20th Century, the ratio of 1:1 was commonly used
  • By 1930s it became 3 parts gin:1 part Vermouth
  • By 1940s the ratio was 4:1
  • Going forth, the ratio of Gin doubled and then doubled again until the vermouth was just an afterthought. An era of super dry martinis!

A Martini is an elegant simplicity at its best where the taste of the spirit shines through like a diamond and all other ingredients are harmoniously synced. Most Martini drinkers have their own preferred ratio, style and garnish!

Martini Variations:

“Let me fix you a Martini that’s pure magic.”  – Frank Sinatra

Aged Martini: One can use either a barrel-aged gin or create any of the Martini variations mentioned below and age them in a barrel for about three weeks. The result is a smooth deep flavor.

Burnt Martini: This fairly unknown and interesting variation calls for a splash of smoky single malt to be added to your drink. Complex and layered.

Bone Dry: Wherein just a whisper of vermouth (almost none) is used. The same thing as an Extra Dry Martini. Usually made with rinsing the glass with vermouth and discarding the leftover liquid.

Dry Martini: Usually a 6 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth ratio is used.

Dirty Martini: Popularised by President Franklin Roosevelt, in the 1930s. An equal amount of olive brine (usually from the jar of the cocktail olives) to vermouth is used. Extra Dirty or Filthy Martini just means that more olive brine. It transforms the drink into a savoury cocktail and is garnished almost always with an olive.

Desert Martini: often known as a Churchill Martini: No vermouth just straight gin diluted with ice.

“I would like to observe the vermouth from across the room while I drink my martini.”  – Winston Churchill

Gibson Martini: Made with Pickled onions in lieu of an olive or a citrus twist. Usually served dry. Not very common these days, but those who like it, swear by its briny umami flavour.

With a Twist: Just specifies that you would prefer the martini garnished with a strip of citrus peel that should be twisted across the top of your drink so as to release aromatic oils into the cocktail before garnishing the drink with the peel.

On the Rocks Martini: Any of the variations of the Martini served in a rocks glass over ice. This is slightly uncommon as the melting ice in the glass would dilute the Martini.

Perfect Martini: Equal parts of both sweet and dry vermouth are used for this variation. A Perfect Martini is usually sweeter than the average Martini.

Straight Up: The Martini is chilled with ice by either shaking or stirring and then strained into a chilled glass. This is the style for most Martini variations and one that is assumed while ordering it

Wet Martini: The opposite of a Dry Martini. It simply means MORE vermouth is added to the drink.  Usually, the ratio is 3 parts Gin to 1 Part Vermouth. Extra Wet means a heartier portion of vermouth. The ratio can go up to 1:1 which is also called the Fifty-Fifty Martini.

Vesper Martini: Made famous by the James Bond book and movie Casino Royale. It is named after the double Agent Vesper Lynd in the franchise. It comes with strict instruction on how to make it:

 “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. Got it?”Casino Royale, Chapter 7

Shaken or Stirred: This comes down to individual preference.

Shaken: This method has been made famous by James Bond’s famous line “shaken, not stirred.” In fact, it has now become clichéd. If you ask any Bartender worth their salt, they would tell you that Bond is doing this all wrong. Many argue that Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book in which nearly every cocktail, including the Martini, are shaken may have given Ian Fleming the idea for this style. Shaking a Martini has a diluting effect on the drink as tiny ice shards get broken when agitated by shaking the drink, thereby making it colder but more dilute. Maybe Fleming knew about this science and wanted to keep Bond’s head clear even when he sipped a stiff drink.

Stirred: This style is what most bartenders typically prefer. Stirring ensures that the drink is properly chilled, smoother and the consistency velvety. A lot more flavour of the spirit is retained.

As per Robert Vermiere in his 1922 book Cocktails and How to Mix Themthe Martini Cocktail should be prepared in the mixing glass and stirred up. In America, however, it has been the fashion, since a few years, to shake this cocktail until thoroughly cold.”

A stirred cocktail will be clear versus a shaken cocktail that will be cloudy in appearance especially if any kind of wine or vermouth is used.  So if you like a muddy looking Martini, go ahead and shake it!

“The important thing is the rhythm.  Always have a rhythm in your shaking.  Now, a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry Martini you always shake to waltz time.”  – William Powell, The Thin Man.

        
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