Bartending 101 - The Martini ‘Talk’

It’s like the birds and the bees talk for bartenders, but with more Vermouth*

*well, actually less vermouth, but that joke won’t make sense until later in the article.

Martinis. This is a complicated topic. This is going to be more of an expanded article and FAQ than the norm, with recipies at the end, so scroll ahead if that’s what you‘re here for.

Martini, Vermouth- what’s what? Martini is a messy and clumsy word that covers several things. Martini is a brand- Martini Rosso, dry and extra dry are all products from the brand Martini itself. These are all Vermouths, not the other way around.

Martini Glasses are those V shaped glasses you’re see behind most bars. Martini cocktails tend to encompass any drink that can be served in a martini glass, rather than any drink containing martini or vermouth itself, with a few notable exceptions mentioned below. (For example, a french martini contains no vermouth, is only served in a martini glass). They can also be served in Coupe glasses, just to be difficult. 😬

Vermouth is the actual spirit, or fortified wine to be completely accurate. There’s Sweet Vermouths, typically a deep red in colour, that you’ll use for Manhattans and things of that ilk- it’s a deep, rich and (oddly) sweet product with a low abv that adds real richness and depth to a drink. examples: Martini Rosso, Cocchi di Torino. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s Dry Vermouths, still holding a note of sweetness but providing (funny enough) a drier and more savoury mouthfeel and taste. This is your staple for actual Martini Cocktails. Examples: Martini dry and extra dry, Cocchi di Americano, Lillet Blanc

For now, we’re going to talk about Martini Cocktails- the classic Gin Martini, Vodka Martini, Vesper, Gibson and Dirty Martini.

Also my personal favourite, the Naked Martini.

As a rule, less is more with vermouth- real martini drinkers like the drink as dry as possible (with as little vermouth as possible), and when being cautious it’s always easier to use less then add more to preference. Noel Coward famously said "A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy" .

He's not wrong.

Dry Martini (gin)

Ingredients

45ml good gin - a London dry is my go to, rather than a botanics-heavy gin. Tanqueray, or my personal favourite, Tanqueray Ten, is the way to go.

5ml dry vermouth- as explained above, Cocchi is my personal recommendation.

Method

The method is pretty much the same regardless of martini, with the odd alteration (that I’ll state by the drink).

Chill a martini or coupe glass. In a mixing glass loaded with ice, add vermouth and gin and slowly stir for 25-30 second. Fine strain into glass, add a couple of olives on a skewer as a garnish.

Alternatives

Wet Martini

35ml gin/15 vermouth

Bone Dry martini

50ml gin/2.5 vermouth

Vodka Martini

Use a quality vodka- Ketel One- instead of gin. Shake rather than stir. Lemon twist garnish, as top of page.

Vesper

The original Bond Martini-

15ml vodka

35ml gin

5ml Lillet blanc

Method as classic martini, lemon twist garnish.

Gibson

Use silver Cocktail onions instead of olives

Dirty Martini

Add 5-10ml olive brine to the mix and stir in.

Naked Martini

Keep your gin and vermouth stored in the freezer, and the glassware in the fridge. Pull out a prechilled coupe, add both spirits to the glass and let the spirits do the work for you- no stirring. Serve with olives.