The Martini

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Ashful

Minister of Fire
Mar 7, 2012
19,959
Philadelphia
Primarily a whisky drinker, I had for years mostly reserved gin for the classic gin and tonic in the summer. Beefeater at home, and primarily Tanqueray or Hendricks at the club (that’s what they stock).

However, when I started experimenting with martinis, @begreen cued me in to Bombay Sapphire. Since then, my go-to recipe has become:

2 large crisp pitted green olives
2.5 oz. Bombay Sapphire
0.5 oz. Martini & Rossi dry vermouth

However, wanting something different the other day, I was reading up on more traditional (i.e. pre-prohibition) martinis. Back then, you would be more likely to get something closer to equal parts vermouth and gin, than the atomized mist of vermouth that has become vogue today. Also, orange bitters were a standard part of the recipe, which completely fell off the charts when orange bitters became almost extinct a few decades back.

This weekend, I’ve experimented with what has been named as a more “traditional” recipe, from the pre-prohibition era:

2 large crisp olives
2 oz. gin, both Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire
1 oz. Martini & Rossi vermouth
2 - 3 shakes Angostura Orange Bitters

My impressions:

1. Bombay makes a better “modern” martini, high on gin and low on vermouth, but Beefeater makes a far better “traditional” martini.

2. I need to experiment with more vermouth varieties, if it is going to be such a big part of the martini. When it was 20% or less of the total, it didn’t matter quite as much.

3. Orange bitters: Angostura is the standard in traditional bitters, but there are a lot of new options coming up in orange bitters. If you haven’t tried it in a martini, then you’re missing out on the original recipe. They’re worth keeping in the cupboard.

4. Olives: buy the best that can be had. Like cheap tonic in a gin and tonic, poor olives ruin the drink. That crisp green olive at the bottom of the glass is your reward, at the end of it.

What’s your preference? Such a simple drink, so many varieties.
 
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Martinis are like a woman with 3 breasts 2 are OK 3 is 1 Two many
I am a traditionalist
equal parts Gin and vermouth with a olive stirred not shaken
DO NOT BRUISE THE GIN
 
I'm not big on mixed drinks and lean toward the first recipe. In general I'm happy with the vermouth bottle just waved over the top of the shaker. That way I get to taste more of the gin, which is where the brewing art comes in. Gin's flavor is subtly (or sometimes not too subtly) influenced by the herbs and spices that the starting vodka soaks in. I like local craft gins for this reason. A while back I went to a new brewery where they were trying to decide on the final ingredient mix. We tasted about 4-5 different combos. The difference was quite amazing. Some were quite peppery, so slightly sweet. I'm glad I ended up picking the one that the master brewer like the best even though a lot of the staff didn't choose it. Locally they make a gin with a hint of lavender. It actually is a nice sipper, though I haven't bought any, just sampled.
 
I like my Irish coffee. It had got all 4 major food groups.
Got your alcohol.
Got your caffeine.
Got your fat.
Got your sugar.
Actually there is something synergistic about the combination of alcohol and caffeine. They seem to offset each others disadvantages.
 
I go about 3:1 gin to vermouth, 2 large olives, The Botanist gin and Noilly Pratt vermouth. Mixed in an SS bottle with airtight cap and placed in the freezer for 3 hours and then poured into a frozen glass, no ice.
 
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I'll be right over.
 
I go about 3:1 gin to vermouth, 2 large olives, The Botanist gin and Noilly Pratt vermouth. Mixed in an SS bottle with airtight cap and placed in the freezer for 3 hours and then poured into a frozen glass, no ice.

Beautiful. Now I need to start coming home from work 3 hours earlier.
 
That's why I like whisky. Neat is just fine. Rocks when its warm out.
When it comes to the hard stuff, I like simple.

Nothing simple about whiskey, even if you like to deprive yourself and only go neat. Scotch vs bourbon vs rye. Single malt vs blended. Highland vs Islay vs Speyside. Kentucky vs Tennessee, Canadian, and Irish. There is not another beverage with more variations, or opinions on what’s best.

Then there’s how you serve it... neat, rocks, old fashioned, Manhattan...
 
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Nothing simple about whiskey, even if you like to deprive yourself and only go neat. Scotch vs bourbon vs rye. Single malt vs blended. Highland vs Islay vs Speyside. Kentucky vs Tennessee, Canadian, and Irish. There is not another beverage with more variations, or opinions on what’s best.

Then there’s how you serve it... neat, rocks, old fashioned, Manhattan...
You're turning this into work.

Open one of 3 favorite brands. Serve.
 
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Whisky is Scotch. Whiskey is all the others.

As for martinis, Bulldog or Beefeater gin, Hendricks if those aren't available. Small splash of dry vermouth, splash of olive juice. Make it dirty. Don't shake it. Kalamata olives are good in it too, or the blue cheese stuffed ones.

Those orange bitters are great for making old fashioneds.
 
Those orange bitters are great for making old fashioneds.
You know, that's what I expected, but so far I haven't liked it as much as traditional Angostura in an old fashioned. More experimentation is warranted, I suppose.
 
I’ve had several of these “traditional” Martinis, with the 2:1 ratio and orange bitters, over the last week. I’ve also tried going back and making them with a more “modern” 5:1 ratio and no orange bitters, and I just can’t do it. The traditional mix just suits me better, and I’d have never expected it. In fact, when I first read about it in a few articles on cocktail history, I thought it sounded horrendous.

If you’re a martini drinker, you owe it to yourself to pick up some orange bitters, and try a traditional mix.
 
I guess I am more the opposite, I like to taste the gin, but I'll ask for a traditional at the local watering hole and see how it goes.


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