The Martini isn’t the oldest cocktail in the world. That honour belongs to the alcoholic punch. It isn’t even a particularly original cocktail. It is actually an evolution of an even older cocktail, the Martinez.
Yet, of all the cocktails in the world, none have the same hold on the imagination as the classic Martini. Even James Bond drank a variant on the martini.
Perhaps it has to do with its utter simplicity. At its core, it has only three ingredients: gin, dry vermouth, and a garnish of either lemon peel or an olive. Simple, but not easy; with only two ingredients, every little change is immediately obvious to even the least discerning drinker. The quantity of ingredients used, the proportion of each, must be precise. Quality of the spirit, too, is paramount. A cheap Martini will taste cheap, but a good spirit will really come into its own.
My own first sip of a Martini was not a pleasant one, and I shied away from it for years. Since then, however, I’ve come to appreciate how the ingredients complement each other. The end product is a refreshing aperitif that feels both simple and sophisticated.
The true history of the Martini has been lost to time, but we do know that it’s been a part of the cocktail world since at least the late 1800s, possibly 1880s, where it appeared on the bar menus of the hottest bars of its day. While other theories link it to the gold rush in the 1840s, or even the advent of the Martini brand Extra Dry vermouth in 1900, the evidence around those ideas is wafer thin at best.
What’s more interesting than the origin of the Martini is its evolution. The vermouth used for Martinis is always dry and white, and bot much has changed in the last 50 years. There really aren’t that many brands; my favourite is Dolin, though Noilly Prat works just as well. The same can’t be said of the spirit.
It seems that these days the question of whether the Martini should be made with Gin or Vodka inevitably comes up. The original spirit is indubitably, and in my opinion, correctly, gin. Unflavoured vodka lacks a strong taste of its own for the most part, gin is always flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. These work in tandem with the vermouth to provide a unique taste. Choosing vodka as the base spirit robs the Martini of most of its character (by the way, a “vodka martini” is more correctly termed a “kangaroo”.)
What’s more interesting is that the gin itself has changed. The gin we know and love today wasn’t the gin that went into the first Martinis. Back then, good gin was Dutch genever, and had malt notes in it, consequently giving it some extra weight. At the time, then, the vermouth and “gin” were mixed in a one to one ratio.
Over time, the London dry gin gained popularity, and it this style of gin that most people think of today when you mention the word gin. As its name suggests, it is much dryer and lighter than its predecessor. The gin at this point also ran at a 3 to 1 ratio to the vermouth, a much drier and stiffer drink.
The world never stops changing, and in this modern world, the even drier 5 gin to 1 vermouth is considered the gold standard – and many bartenders stick by this proportion. Things get more extreme, however; some bars even suggest not even bothering with the vermouth. All they do is swirl a little dry vermouth in the glass, dump it all out, and fill it with gin. Some even recommend just whispering the word “vermouth” over gin to make the perfect Martini. Even Winston Churchill himself famously remarked that the best way to add vermouth to a martini was to look in the direction of France while vaguely lifting the bottle over the Martini.
The end product of these efforts to go too far would not really be a Martini. but an extremely cold gin.
To complicate matters, different gins will work differently with the vermouth and the proportions will change yet again. No two gins are the same, because of the different botanicals that go into each of them. Generally, a juniper-heavy gin will lean towards less vermouth, and a floral, herbal gin will lean towards more vermouth. I like Martin Miller’s, Hendricks and Monkey 47, which are well balanced and can work either way.
What’s the definitive proportion of gin to vermouth in the Martini then?
The secret answer is that there isn’t one. The best proportioned Martini is the one that you like best. I myself prefer a classic 3 to 1, which would be considered a wet Martini, though it’s still plenty dry. You will have to experiment a little here; I tasted about 8 variations on this before I could make up my mind. If you desire something truly balanced, I’d start with the classic ratio first.
Put it all together:
The Classic Martini
45ml Gin
15ml Dry French Vermouth
A thinly sliced lemon zest
Measure the proportions of gin and vermouth precisely and stir with ice in a mixing glass till cold. Strain and serve with the garnish of lemon zest.
Yes, Martinis should be stirred, not shaken, unlike what a certain superspy would have you believe. A stirred martini is crystal clear and tastes smoother and lighter, even if it is not as icy cold as the shaken one!
It’s amazing how much debate can occur over a cocktail that has, at its heart, only two ingredients! There are enough variations to suit every one. If you’re bored with the classic martini, why not try a variant? The Reverse Martini is 5 Vermouth to 1 Gin. The Gin and It is a Martini made with Sweet Italian Vermouth. Change the gin. Serve it with an orange peel. There’s so much fun to be had in tweaking the Martini to be just right for you. That’s the beauty of this seemingly simple drink.
It’s your drink.
