The Ultimate Guide to Martini Cocktails

The Martini, may be one of the most famous cocktails ever created. At least for me, it was not a pleasant sipper you instantly fall in love with. Instead, it took quite a few years and tries to get used to it. However, in the past few months I found myself craving one quite often. Therefore, I would like to present a series dedicated to the different Martini variations. In this first part, we are going to take a closer look at some very close Martini variations.

In this series I will do a lot of things, but I will not shake a single Martini variation. Without diving too deep in the discussion, a drink with just alcoholic components has to be stirred. So, let us start with the classic Dry Martini cocktail. Recipes for the “Dry Plain Martini Cocktail” appear from 1895 in various cocktail books. Some use Old Tom Gin, but a lot of them already feature London Dry Gin. Most of the times orange bitters are used and the drink is garnished with a lemon twist, sometimes with a cherry and rarely with an olive. However, our focus for this series lies on the modern recipes, or better said our favourite ways of preparing the different drinks.

How dry will you go?

Contrary to James Bond, I prefer my Martini with gin and a lemon twist instead of an olive. On top of that, I like a 5:1 ratio, but in the last few years I am tending more towards sweeter ratios. Versions using less vermouth in my opinion do not have a lot to do with the original Dry Martini cocktail. Concerning the gin, I usually opt for a citrus forward London Dry style. However, the Hepple Gin or the Sipsmoth V.J.O.P also make powerful Dry Martinis. When it comes to the vermouth, I went for the true classic Noilly Prat Dry. For a slightly more winey taste you also could use the Mancino Secco, but I prefer this for the other variations listed below.

Dirty Martini

You have probably heard or read about the Dirty Martini. To be honest, I always stayed clear of this drink, because I did not care much for olive brine in any style of drink. Yet, when you grow older, you sometimes crave a more umami style of cocktail. While you can still send me running with a Bloody Mary, I thought I give the different “brine added to a Martini” variations a go. In this case, I started with the Dirty Martini. For the recipe, I chose the very citrus forward Spiritus Rex JuniP Gin to contrast the briny notes. For the same reason, I added slightly more vermouth. Similar to the spirits, the quality of such a cocktail strongly influenced by the quality of the olives you use. This is why I went for the Galantino Bella di Cerignola Olives. They have a very “meaty” flavour and add salinity and a lot of umami notes to the cocktail.

 

 

Pickled Martini

To be honest, I did not care much for this Dirty Martini variation when I read it first over at the blog of Matthias Soberon. Yet, after a while and because I had excellent pickled cucumbers on hand, I gave the version a try. This time I used the Isle of Harris Gin, in combination with the Mancino Secco vermouth. Furthermore, the pickle brine from the Staud’s gherkins just adds a hint of pickled cucumber flavour, but the acidity from the vinegar also further balances the drink.

 

 

The Gibson

Although the first mentions of the Gibson are not garnished with a pickled onion, they all omit the bitters. Today, the name “Gibson” is almost exclusively associated with a Martini cocktail garnished with a pickled onions. Again, when I first encountered the recipe I was not eager to try it. However, when visiting the 69 Colebrook Row bar in London with my sister, we met a Scottish gin distiller who insisted on drinking a Gibson as a nightcap (after various rounds of other drinks). Yet, I did not make another one until working on this article. For this Martini variation, I chose maybe my favourite Martini gin of them all, the No. 3 London Dry Gin by Berry Bros. & Rudd. On top of that, it is also worth investing in high quality pickled onions with a Gibson. I also prefer the ones made by Staud in Vienna.

 

 

Gibson on the Rocks

Of course, if you mention the Gibson nowadays, a lot of Netflix users will instantly think about the show “Queen’s Gambit” where the protagonist sips and excessive amount of them. She also orders a Gibson on the Rocks once. While I usually would prefer the straight-up version, I thought I also give this one a go. Obviously, this was the perfect excuse to use a Navy Strength Gin. This is why I went for the Sipsmith V.J.O.P. That being said, the drink works quite well with the powerful gin. Apart from that, the dilution from the ice cubes makes the drink smoother.

 

 

Martini on the Rocks

The Martini on the Rocks supposedly was Frank Sinatra’s favourite cocktail. Again, I normally would not mix up a Martini on the Rocks. Nevertheless, as with the Gibson, if I have to do so, I would use a Navy Strength gin. On top of that, while I do prefer the drier Noilly Prat Dry vermouth in this cocktail, I will go for the regular amount and not make the cocktail too dry. In the end, the Martini on the Rocks is an almost refreshing Martini variation you also can sip when the temperatures are higher.

 

 

Vodka Martini

Circling back to James Bond, I also gave a Vodka Martini a try for this article. – All for the research, you know… In this case I chose the Potocki Rye Vodka from Poland. Not only, but also because they use it in the Duke’s Bar in London. For a vodka, the Potocki is quite nice, it still has some rye spirit flavour without too much menthol notes. On top of that, I used slightly more vermouth in this one, too. After all, the drink turned out OK, but I guess I will not become the biggest fan of Vodka Martinis soon.

 

 

The Vesper

For the last drink in this article, we stick with James Bond. Yet, the original drink intended for James Bond by Ian Flamming is far more than just a combination of a Dry and a Vodka Martini. In my case, I also used the same base spirits as the Duke’s Hotel, No. 3 Gin and Potocki Vodka. Usually, I would mix the drink with Cocchi Americano, the most original Kina Lillet replacement. However, this time I used the Cap Corse Grand Quinquina Blanc which turned out great, too.