The Vodka Martini - shaken, stirred, dry, extra dry, wet or dirty

By: 
Brian Rung

    All Martinis are made with gin, except the ones that are not.
    A true Martini, made from the “original” recipe is a classic combination of gin and a small measure of dry vermouth. That being said, the lines between original and derivative became blurred about 50 to 60 years ago when the Martini was given a new lease on life during the “Mad Men” era.
    It became fashionable (thanks to 007) to drink Martinis from cocktail glasses at dinner parties, but there was one problem - you were out of luck if you didn't like gin. Enter the gin-based classic's cousin, the Vodka Martini.
    The Vodka Martini was clear and refreshing like its gin counterpart, but became a bit more palatable than gin when diluted during the mixing process. Regardless of which side of the Martini debate you find yourself on, bear in mind that the customer (your guest) is always right.
    Personal preference aside, if you host enough dinner parties or cocktail hour gatherings in your home at some point someone is going to order a Vodka Martini. When your neighbor orders a  Martini, vodka, dry, stirred, will you be ready?
    Martini ordering is a language all its own, here is a quick rundown of the terminology involved once your guest has specified vodka or gin (all of these terms also apply to Gin Martinis).
    Shaken: Ingredients are shaken with ice then strained into a chilled cocktail glass.
    Stirred: Ingredients are added to a mixing glass, stirred with ice for 30 seconds, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass.
    Dry: A small amount of dry vermouth is used.
    Extra Dry: No vermouth is used.
    Wet: A larger measure of dry vermouth is used.
    Dirty: Made with muddled olives or olive brine.
    The “dry” designation has always been a source of confusion for those new to the Martini. After all, the Martini uses dry vermouth, therefore aren't all Martinis dry? When ordering a Martini the term “dry” actually refers to the amount of vermouth used, not the type of vermouth used.
    If your guest does not have a “shaken or stirred” preference, always go with stirred. A stirred Martini will be crystal clear while the shaken drink could turn out to be a bit cloudy depending on the measure of vermouth.
    I always keep two small bottles of dry vermouth in my home bar. I opt for the 375 ml bottles because most Martinis are ordered dry using only a few drops of vermouth. Unused vermouth will spoil quickly and should be refrigerated, it should be discarded after a few days in the refrigerator.
    Despite being safe to drink after a day or two it will not taste fresh. Keep the small 375 ml bottles around and you will not have to pour large bottles of spoiled vermouth down the sink. If you have a half empty bottle of unused vermouth from last year's Holiday party in your cabinet, run, don't walk to your cabinet and get rid of it.
    There are several brands of vermouth that work well in the Martini. My favorite is Noilly Prat. If Prat is unavailable, use the Martini brand vermouth.
    The standard pour in a Vodka Martini is 2 ounces of Vodka. Because the drink is mostly vodka, you will want to use a quality vodka.
    Smirnoff, Grey Goose and Tito's are solid vodkas, but my palate prefers either Belvedere or Ketel One in a Vodka Martini. There are those who say “vodka is vodka”, but I can pick Belvedere out of a lineup in a blind taste test and I believe it to be the vodka best suited for the Vodka Martini. If you are a vodka fan and haven't tried “Belvy”, give it a try. It truly is an exceptional vodka.
    We have our vodka, and we have our vermouth, now all we need is a garnish. The two most common Martini garnishes are olives and twists of lemon. Always skewer an olive when garnishing, a lemon twist garnish is simply twisted over the drink to express the oils and then dropped into the drink.
    No fancy kitchen or bar gadgets are needed to make Martinis. You can get by with a mixing glass (pint glass), Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, shaker and a Martini glass.
    The Martini is perhaps the most customizable cocktail in the mixologists' repertoire, but there are four basic Martinis that every host/hostess should be able to make quickly.
    Remember, we are using vodka this week but the same proportions also apply to Gin Martinis. It is my personal preference to stir Martinis, but any of the recipes below may be shaken.
Classic Martini
    Add 2 ounces vodka and 1/4 ounce dry vermouth to mixing glass. Stir with ice for 30 seconds then strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with twist of lemon or olive.
Dry Martini
    Add 1/4 ounce dry vermouth to chilled cocktail glass. Swirl glass until coated with vermouth then discard excess vermouth. Add 2 ounces vodka to mixing glass. Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with twist of lemon or olive.
Wet Martini
    Add 2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce dry vermouth to mixing glass. Stir with ice for 30 seconds then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with twist of lemon or olive.
Dirty Martini
    Muddle two olives in mixing glass. Add 2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce dry vermouth. Stir with ice for 30 seconds then strain into chilled cocktail glass. A splash of olive brine may be used in place of muddles olives.
    Until next week, enjoy responsibly.

 

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