Friday, December 2, 2011

Making the Perfect Martini

Apple Martinis are my favorite drink. For years my friends and I went to the club to enjoy one an others company, to relax, discuss our weekly schedules, family, personal lives and to have our favorite martini.
 A splash of dry vermouth, two shots of gin, an olive or two – and your classic Martini is ready to serve,...but we don't like simple, and we surely didn't like the same martinis. Each drink that one drinks quotes who you are by class. Sooo what class are you? Do you drink martinis? Drinking a cocktail doesn't make you classy, make certain that you can back it up. The martini epitomizes style and sophistication; it is the most glamorous of all cocktails. If you snap your gum and twirl your hair the martini is NOT a drink for you.

Making a mean Martini
A traditional martini is made with gin and dry white vermouth, topped with a crisp green olive. Gin is strong liquor flavored with juniper berries and is generally used as a base for making other drinks. Vermouth, the other key ingredient of a martini, is a fortified dry or sweet wine flavored with various herbs, seeds, and plants. The amount of vermouth used in the modern martini has become considerably less. Martini connoisseurs would know that the dryness of the martini is determined by the amount of vermouth added. The drier the martini, the lesser the vermouth used to make it.


The classic Martini
A classic martini is prepared with equal parts of gin and dry vermouth. The key to a well-made martini is to chill the bottle of gin, the cocktail glass, and the shaker in the freezer prior to mixing. Some prefer to use cold vermouth, but tradition calls for it to be kept at room temperature. Ice is often dismissed as insignificant while making a drink. However, it is intrinsic to a martini because it helps combine the gin and vermouth.

The ‘shaken, not stirred’ martini ordered by James Bond raked up a controversy as to whether the drink should be shaken or stirred. Martini purists claim that shaking the drink ‘bruises’ the liquor, as the ice melts quickly, making the martini slightly weak. Also, shaking the drink is said to make it cloudy instead of clear. Clear drinks are always subject to a gentle stirring, so you do not lose the original flavor and yet succeed in blending all the ingredients. The classics that goes into making a good martini are often overlooked. The long-stemmed martini glass, often called the “classic cocktail” glass, adds an elegant touch to the drink itself. An authentic martini glass will hold 900 milliliters of liquid. A good cocktail shaker or mixer is a necessary tool behind the bar. There are three types of cocktail shakers – Cobbler, Pitcher and Boston. The cocktail shaker serves not just to mix the drink, but also to cool it quickly.


Sprucing up the Martini
There are primarily two variations of the classic martini: the Sweet Martini in which one uses sweet red vermouth and the Perfect Martini prepared with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. Vodka has become a common substitute for gin although purists frown upon this practice. A vodka martini, however, is as enjoyable as a gin martini and is sometimes infused with various fruity flavors.

While there are hundreds of evolving recipes for martinis, there are a few that are frequently-ordered. The ‘dirty martini’ is a popular version wherein olive brine is added for that extra zing. A Gibson is a typical dry martini garnished with pickled onions instead of olives. A gin martini prepared without ice but by using chilled ingredients is known as ‘naked martini’. For an ‘in-and-out’ martini, a small amount of vermouth is poured into the glass, swirled around and the excess is disposed. The Cosmopolitan martini has a combination of various fruit juices, the most common ones being orange and cranberry.

The image conjured up by the word martini is incomplete without the quintessential green olive. It is the Spanish olive that is commonly used in a martini. Different martinis call for an assortment of unique garnishes like lime, lemon twist, orange, peppers, stuffed olives, anchovies, etc.


Martinis today have become a fusion of various liqueurs, fresh fruit juices, and enticing flavors. Thanks to experimental martini epicureans all across the world, we are exposed to a variety of zestful martinis. After all, who can refuse a delectable Chocolate Martini – a wishful blend of chocolate and liquor? You may keep your life private, but what you drink says a lot about who you are and tells all the naked truth...






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