Method
- Pour gin and dry vermouth into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
- Stir well until thoroughly chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass.
- Garnish with an olive or lemon twist as preferred.
About the Martini
The martini is a dry, short drink cocktail made with gin and dry vermouth. Its clean, crisp character comes from the combination of botanical gin and herbal vermouth, with the garnish adding a final aromatic touch. Over time, the ratio has become drier, with modern versions often using significantly more gin than vermouth.
History
The exact origin of the martini is unclear, though it may have evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez served in San Francisco in the early 1860s. By 1922, it had reached its recognizable 2:1 gin-to-vermouth ratio form. During Prohibition, the martini's rise was due to the relative ease of illegal gin manufacture. After repeal, the drink became progressively drier, with ratios changing from 3:1 in the 1930s to 8:1 or more in modern versions.
