How To Make a Martini: 8 Easy Steps You Should Try At Home
So how do you make the perfect martini? Turns out, there is no single recipe to please fans of this iconic drink.
It’s subject to a slew of preferences (shaken or stirred? Vodka or gin? Dry, perfect or wet? Straight up or on the rocks? With a twist or with an olive?) enough to drive an occasional drinker crazy. But we take the martini for what it is: a sexy, sophisticated, grown-up drink consumed only by the manliest of men (think James Bond).
We’ll show you how to make a martini in eight easy steps. Now work on looking sexy with that martini glass in hand.
1. You’ll need:
- Lots of ice
- One stemmed, chilled martini glass (should be in the freezer for at least an hour prior to making the martini)
- Vermouth (fresh, and put it in the fridge)
- Glass pitcher or metal shaker (store in the freezer just like the glass)
- Garnish (lemon peel or olives)
- Gin (as a nod to martini purists, we’ll skip vodka)
2. Measure your vermouth.
Note that it has to be fresh! (If the vermouth in your local store has been there before Obama got elected to The White House, don’t bother). Pour the vermouth into its cap. That’s all the amount you’ll need.
3. Put ice on the glass pitcher or metal shaker.
Seven to eight cubes will do. Don’t skimp. Ice is necessary for chilling and the blending of other ingredients. Pour in the vermouth and give it a swirl, but don’t shake it like you would a maraca.
4. Get the gin.
Now measure two shots, or 3 ounces and no more. Then depending on the container that you’re using (glass pitcher or metal shaker), you’ll either have to swirl or stir. If it’s a glass container, stir. If it’s a metal shaker, swirl it with a bit of force. The ice will create friction, but you wouldn’t want to bruise the gin. The ice melting a little is the perfect state to gently introduce the gin to the vermouth. So don’t be lazy and swirl, or stir for about 30 seconds.
On a side note, there are heated debates all over the internet whether the gin should be bruised or not. When you prefer your martini “shaken” and not “stirred”, you bruise the gin. Some would say that this is nothing but incorporating bubbles into the martini to make it fancy and get shards of ice in it, others say it affects the taste (us included). But personal preferences are never wrong. What works for us may not for you. So whatever, dude.
5. Swirl or stir occasionally.
Go ahead and clear your kitchen counter for a bit. Then give the drink a bit of a swirl. Find something to nosh on to go with the martini. Then back to the drink and swirl it again. A proper martini requires a bit of melted water from the ice to mellow off the alcohol’s “burn”. This is how to make a martini taste delicious.
6. Get the garnish.
If its olives you like, mount up two on a toothpick. If it’s lemon peel, cut it thinly and twist one swatch. Then go back to swirling the drink a bit.
7. Get the chilled glass.
Now strain the concoction into the chilled glass, and garnish with olives or lemon peel, whichever you prefer.
8. Enjoy.
Where are we on looking sexy? Hardly matters when you’ve got this king of the cocktails in your hand. Just don’t forget a few things:
- Don’t nurse the martini. It’s made for cold consumption, so don’t allow it to reach room temperature.
- Don’t down it like a shooter. It’s made to be enjoyed, so don’t be a savage. Think finesse.
With every other person out there disputing every “how-to-make-a-martini” guide to insist their own preference, it’s impossible to have the one, true, ultimate recipe. But that’s the beauty of the martini; its concocting possibilities are so endless that you can make a version that’s strictly your own. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.
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