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The Martini -- B&B Classic Cocktails

Perfect, Pat. Just perfect. :thumbsup:

That's exactly how it's done! All that does is give the cat a means of getting to the olive without drinking the gin. (Seriously. My brother's cat will resort to drinking a martini if he has to in order to get himself an olive. It's not pretty.) :a54:

Now that's what u call a 'cool cat'.! (couldn't resist!!!):wink:

I used to bartend at a restaurant and for 'some people' who live near Camp David( if they saw you making it some other way, they would inform u; no change on your part led to not being asked back and missing out on the easiest $3-400 for a 2 hour period)-Pat has nailed the classic recipe for a martini. the only step i add is ice and water to the martini glass so it is chilled by the time the drink is made.

Noted Spanish director Luis Bunuel was a noted martini drink and he always used bitters. According to his autobiography, place ice in a pitcher, add a splash of bitters, stir and drain, then continue on with the preparation of gin and vermouth.

Nice job, Pat. I learned to barkeep at a country club and learned early on the traditional compositions of martinis, old fashioneds, manhattans and the like. When I hear an order for an Appletini I have to force myself not to sneer in the offender's general direction. :biggrin:

if it's a female, no big deal; however if male, call the metrosexual police!


marty
 
the only step i add is ice and water to the martini glass so it is chilled by the time the drink is made.

I mentioned it in the Manhattan tutorial, but I forgot to say so in this one -- I keep my martini glasses in the freezer. Usually by the time I get the drink poured, the olive dropped, and everything put away and rinsed out, its the appropriate (cold, but not straight out of the freezer cold) temp.
 
Simple: yes. Correct: Not even close. A martini is made with gin. No exceptions. There is a popular cocktail which contains vodka and vermouth and is commonly garnished with an olive, but it's not a martini. And in nearly all cases, those drinks don't have vermouth so it's simply chilled vodka served up with an olive (or a twist). Either way, still ain't no martini. Case closed.


I will bow to your superior knowledge.
 
I will bow to your superior knowledge.

Timmy is correct. If someone orders a glass of chilled Tequila garnished with a lemon twist, is that a Martini? It's gotten to the point where if it's served in a Martini glass, it's called a Martini. No other cocktail has been so bastardized. People (especially women) like the shape of the glass, but hate gin. Yet they want to be "Martini drinkers", so the upscale bars oblige.

I've been to a few cocktail bars where not one item on their "Martini menu" contained gin. Very sad. If people don't like gin, that's fine. But please call your chocolatey/minty concoctions something else.
 
Timmy is correct. If someone orders a glass of chilled Tequila garnished with a lemon twist, is that a Martini? It's gotten to the point where if it's served in a Martini glass, it's called a Martini. No other cocktail has been so bastardized. People (especially women) like the shape of the glass, but hate gin. Yet they want to be "Martini drinkers", so the upscale bars oblige.

I've been to a few cocktail bars where not one item on their "Martini menu" contained gin. Very sad. If people don't like gin, that's fine. But please call your chocolatey/minty concoctions something else.

Well said. I'm personally on the fence about whether ___-tini is even acceptable. The even worse bit is, they're cheapening the "imposter" drinks as well. I wouldn't know, but there's probably a even few that are worth drinking. But when inconsistently misapplied names I think contribute to this sad lack of awareness amongst the casual bar-goer.
 
I'm curious how many legitimate drinks get misrepresented as -tinis. How many Grasshoppers have been sold as Mintchocotinis?
 
What would the correct name for a "vodka martini" be? I ask because I enjoy the flavor of Vermouth with a good vodka and olive brine, and I certainly agree that it shouldn't be called a martini unless it's gin.

The proper name for a 3-1 Vodka to Vermouth stirred and served up with a lemon twist is a Kangaroo. So, I suppose that you could order a, "Kangaroo with 3 olives, please".
 
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Well said. I'm personally on the fence about whether ___-tini is even acceptable. The even worse bit is, they're cheapening the "imposter" drinks as well. I wouldn't know, but there's probably a even few that are worth drinking. But when inconsistently misapplied names I think contribute to this sad lack of awareness amongst the casual bar-goer.

My mind is a little more made up. Serving a really hot woman being the exception, anything "-tini" that isn't a MARTINI should be served hanging in a rectangular rubber bag with a hose that has a blunt, fenestrated tip on the end. :rolleyes:
 
Hey chaps. I am late to this one. Why oh why do I always come late to the news? Noilly Prat is changing back to some older formula? Well that is their choice but as Johnny-come lately to the Martini, this is a sad event. I just bought my first bottle of Noilly recently and haven't even cracked it open. Where will the traditionalists go? I quite like gin but have never really had a proper Martini. To be honest, the new/old Noilly sounds like it might be a grand apertif. Should this sort of drink be served chilled or at room temperature? Thanks.

Regards, Todd
 
I also might add something about glassware. Now realising I am not a Martini guru please take no offense here. The glass most refer to as Martini is not really so named. It is a cocktail glass. At least I think that is correct. If I am mistaken can someone let me know what the difference is?

Regards, Todd
 
To be honest, the new/old Noilly sounds like it might be a grand apertif. Should this sort of drink be served chilled or at room temperature? Thanks.

Straight, lightly chilled is the preferred way to serve an aperitif wine.

I also might add something about glassware. Now realising I am not a Martini guru please take no offense here. The glass most refer to as Martini is not really so named. It is a cocktail glass. At least I think that is correct. If I am mistaken can someone let me know what the difference is?

There's no difference -- cocktail glass, "martini glass," and "up" should be basically interchangeable.
 
Thanks Pat. This whole classic cocktail thread is a great one and please keep it a sticky. It really does deserve the spot. Now we just need a few more of the other categories linked in an we're all done. Sorry I cannot be of better help. The drinks like Long Island Iced Tea have been so bastartdised over the years that I could not honestly tell you if I have ever had the real thing.

Regards, Todd
 
I like to pour one drop of vermouth in the chilled glass and then spill it out before adding the gin ("in and out").

Good choice on the Boodles Gin, but I don't know about the bleu cheese olives.

Cheers!
 
I LOVE Martinis!!:w00t:

My personal mix is old skool ratio, 3-1 Hendrick's gin and Noilly Pratt.

Stirred for 30 seconds, Never shaken.

Strained into a chilled up glass.

Then as a dedicated lime guy, I go for a twist of lime vice the standard olive.

I'm flirting with adding with orange bitters. I'll get some next time I hit the liker sto.

Cheers,
 
Maybe I'm still sore over the whole War of 1812 and the burning of Washington, but I prefer to drink a fine American gin -- Blue Coat (from Philadelphia).

Toss in some dry vermouth and blue cheese filled olives and I'm ready to sit back and watch the Ultimate Fighter.
 
I do tend to like my martinis a little on the "dirty" side, but do appreciate a good classic Martini none the less. One things that people forget is that Vermouth is a wine and that it does spoil after a month or two. Probably one reason why people want "dry" martini's all the time. Make sure that your's is fresh. Bars are infamous for using old nasty vermouth kept at room temp.
Make sure that you refrigerate it and that it's not more then a month old, you (generally) won't use much of it so I always get a small bottle.
 
The other day at a steakhouse the waiter asked me if I wanted Ice in my Martini. I told him I didn't even wanted it shaken more than 3 or 4 times.

About the vermouth going bad. I had no idea about this. I've had my bottle sitting in the cabinate for at least a year. My brother in law bought me a bottle of gin for Christmas that came with vermouth attached in a small bottle.

I have to say, in a blind smell/taste test, I couldn't spot the difference.
 
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