August 2005 - The Martini
It is my
pleasure to bring forth for your reading (and eventually, drinking!)
Enjoyment the first-ever installment of Craig Whitton’s Drink of the
Month. This column will feature all kinds of tips, tricks, tastes, and
history of all kinds of cocktails, from the Golden Era right up to
today’s hippest concoctions.
I thought it
only fitting that I start off this preliminary column with a classic
cocktail that, love it or hate it, is one of the most famous drinks
available today. Best consumed in a stylish tuxedo or evening gown,
with a flair of elegance or, perhaps, the latest Gadget from Q, the
Martini is a staple in almost every bar in the western world.
The Martini was
first introduced in the latter half of the 19th century, and those who
dislike the strong taste of Vermouth in modern cocktails will be
shocked–originally, the Martini (Or Martinez) called for a 4 to 1
mixture–that is 4 parts Vermouth to one part Gin! The ingredients
differed, however, as the Vermouth was a sweet, Italian brand and the
Gin was also a sweeter blend with a strong taste of Juniper.
Originally, the beverage was garnished with a Cherry. It is theorized
that the Olive that we know and love today was substituted in around
the same time as the more bitter English gins and French vermouths were
used instead of the original recipe.
So for those who
have never tried a martini, what exactly does it taste like? That’s a
difficult question to answer, as there are many ways to prepare a
martini. First of all, the major difference: Gin or Vodka. Now, Martini
purists will spit on the idea of a “Vodka” martini. I guess Vodka just
isn’t as classy as Gin in their eyes (despite the fact that Russian
Nobles and Royalty were drinking Vodka as a delicacy when English
Prostitutes and Criminals were chugging down their bathtub-brews of the
Juniper delight!). Granted, the first martini’s WERE gin. However, in
today’s world, Vodka is becoming much more common as more and more
people like the near total lack of flavor that even cheap bar-brand
vodkas have.
As a bit of a
side note–Vodka is designed to have no flavor at all. In fact, it’s
supposed to be like drinking water, albeit with an alcohol content.
Gin, on the other hand, is a complex combination of herbs and spices
fermented together, providing a very strong flavor. The Vermouth, which
is required in a Traditional martini, also has a very strong flavor but
it takes the edge off of the gin, softens the bite a little, if you
will. As for flavors, well I’d love to explain it to you but there are
laterally HUNDREDS of different tasting martinis out there. First of
all, depending on how aggressive the Barkeep is with the different
ingredients, your Dry Martinis in bar A and bar B will taste as
different as Sirloin Steak and Dog Hair. On top of that, you’ve got
tons of “new age” martini’s coming out, such as Sour Apple, Pink
Pineapple, and countless other Martini’s with too much alliteration and
not enough kick (in my opinion!). My advice to find out what a
Martini tastes like–Experiment. However going up to a bar and ordering
a martini isn’t enough! This is an art form we are talking about, and
your options are limitless.
First of all,
we’ve all heard the “Shaken, not stirred” command. Well I hate to break
it to you folks out there, but a Shaken martini is a bad idea. A
Cocktail is as much presentation as it is anything, and shaking gin
over ice can actually “bruise” the gin–when it is poured into the glass
it will look cloudy, instead of clear as it should be. A stirred Gin
Martini is always preferable for presentation, although as far as
flavors go, I personally notice little difference.
Next, do you
want it Dry, Wet, or Perfect? This is a whole other can of worms. First
of all, some bars will take “Dry” martini to mean you want them to use
French vermouth. Most, however, will assume that a “Dry” martini means
very little vermouth in the glass. Wet, obviously, can mean either a
large amount of vermouth, or it can mean Italian vermouth. Perfect is
equal portions of Italian and French vermouth (my preferred martini).
Those are your
options with the Traditional martini. Of course, you can order Gin and
be 100% traditional, or say Vodka (but you should specify–a lot of bars
don’t have a clue which is the “real” martini). Then of course there
are the speciality martini’s I mentioned before, and these are as
varied as bars themselves. There are literally hundreds out there, but
keep in mind that most of them are Martini’s by name alone (well, price
and glassware too!). There is almost always a speciality martini to
match your pallet, but remember that it’s probably not available in all
bars as they are mostly in-house specials.
Martini’s should
always be stirred or, if Vodka (or if you don’t care about cloudy gin)
then they should be shaken. This is critical, as Water is a key
component of a good martini. Many bars store their ingredients in a
fridge to make it as cold as possible; trouble is this doesn’t allow
the ice to melt much in the Stir process, the result being not much
water in the drink, ergo a very harsh martini.
To recap:
Traditional Martini: 1-2oz of Gin with a Dash of Italian (Sweet) Vermouth. Stirred in Ice.
Vodka Martini: 1-2oz of Vodka with a Dash of Vermouth. Shaken or stirred in ice.
Traditional Dry martini: 1-2oz of Gin with a Dash of French (Dry) vermouth. Stirred in Ice.
Traditional Perfect Martini: 1-2oz of Gin with equal parts French and Italian Vermouth.
Those are the basic Martini
recipes; try them at home or head out to your favorite Gin joint with a
few of your pals and order a round, see which one you like. A good
cocktail is more like a good meal then a good steak: All the
ingredients must be quality, and they must all be mixed in the proper
way and proportions to make the drink an experience for your pallete
(rather then an experience your friends remind you of the next day, as
seems to be the modern approach to drinking!). A person enjoying a
Martini knows what they like and how they like it, and it can add a
touch of sophistication to any event. And it never hurts a Martini to
be paired with a nice fitting Tux!
By Craig Whitton.
Any questions/comments/omissions are very welcome! E-mail Craig at info@m3bartending.com.
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