Dry Martini cocktail recipe: how to make the perfect drink

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The Martini cocktail, also known as Dry Martini, is the cocktail par excellence; the father of all so-called Martinis has seen a proliferation of drinks like Vodkatini, Apple Martini, Sweet Martini, and Espresso Martini, to name only the most prominent.

It says that the Dry Martini is the acid test of every bartender because that’s where you see the artist’s skill, sensitivity, and touch, but it is also the testing ground of every cocktail lover.

The cocktail itself is spartan, but it’s like tasting a rainbow of flavors despite having only two ingredients. The recipe is straightforward. 3/4 of gin and 1/4 of dry vermouth.

Some add just a sprinkle of vermouth (as in the case of Hemingway’s Martini), and there are those who want a sweeter drink or who put inside some olives or who hate them.

It’s a mirror through which a bartender can see the soul of the drinker standing in front of him.

Martini cocktail history

The spiritual father of the Dry Martini is the Martinez cocktail, a mythical elixir of the American gold rush days (1850). It was one of the first drinks to mix vermouth and gin, though the recipe calls for sweet vermouth and a few bitter drops.

Over the years, the Martinez morphed, erupting into a much drier, slender cocktail with a modern flavor. For the rest, there are only rumors and speculations about its origins: a legendary bartender named Martini, for publicity purposes, but some argue, not without reason, that it comes from Manhattan (whiskey and sweet vermouth), born in 1874.

Martini: a lifestyle choice

The Martini cocktail is an excellent aperitif with its dry, smooth flavor that always leaves the palate clean, but it’s not an easy drink. It demands a mouth accustomed to solid flavors. Let’s say you’ll get there sip by sip, but be careful about the high alcohol content.

Whoever orders the Martini cocktail not only drinks a cocktail, but also enjoys the ritual of preparation, anticipating the meeting with this delectable nectar.

So, let’s see what to do and what not to do when making the perfect Martini cocktail.

Martini cocktail ingredients

• 6 cl of gin
• 1 cl of dry vermouth
• lemon peel
• ice

How to Make the Original Martini Cocktail

Put some ice in a Martini glass.

Fill a mixing glass with ice, pour vermouth and gin, then stir gently.

Throw the ice away from the glass and pour the cocktail, straining.

Take a lemon peel and squeeze it over the cocktail so that the essential oils of lemon can perfume the cocktail.

Photography by Darin Dines If you want, serve pickled olives separately.

Tips: what to do or not to do

Never shake your Martini. It would be a crime. The ice would dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol content and altering the subtle balance of flavors.

Never put olives in the glass. Serve separately, some want to dip a croissant into a Martini, and it’s their right to do so, but the cocktail should be served pure. If you’re going to put some olives in, rinse them first. Otherwise, it becomes a Dirty Martini.

Gin is fundamental and must be a top-notch quality spirit, but vermouth is even more critical, so use an artisanal bottle, and you’ll use less and less of it: “less is more.”

The Martini’s spectrum of flavors is infinite; start from the original recipe but play with the ingredients to find the sweetness degree you like. There are no definitive recipes, only the one that pleases you.

Great Gin Cocktail you should try

Gin Tonic, Paradise, Tom Collins, Negroni, Gin Fizz, French 75, Tuxedo.

Dry Martini food pairings

Recommended dishes: Pad Thai, pasta alla carbonara, paella mixta, chicken curry.