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Classic martini that isn't awful?
Gabriel_Pitt
Stepped in itRegistered User regular
Stepped in itRegistered User regular
I'm perfectly willing to assume that this just might not be the drink for me, but I'm trying to mix a martini and enjoy a nice, classic drink, and it always turns out godawful. I've gone with light on the vermouth, heavy on the vermouth, dry vermouth, just gin that waves at the vermouth as it goes by, with olive, with onion, with lots of olive juice, used vodka instead, and every time I end up with a drink that does nothing to appeal to me. Am I doing something wrong, or should I just stick with gin and tonics?
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I mean, if you're using 2 1/2oz of the liquor and 1/2oz of vermouth, stirred, you should be golden.
One of the things that a lot of people fuck up on is not realizing that vermouth NEEDS to be refrigerated. It will go bad, it's just a fortified wine. If that vermouth has been sitting out, it's likely gone bad.
2 1/2 oz gin (Hendrick's or Bombay Sapphire)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz rosso vermouth
Garnish with a lemon twist.
There isn't really a gin that "hates" vermouth. I'd be curious to see what you think that is.
He obviously likes gin if he's drinking gin and tonics. In 8 years behind the bar I've seen maybe...two people order straight gin. A good vermouth will balance out the taste of straight gin. I highly recommend the Dolin variety.
Gins have all sorts of botanical mixes, with some even neglecting juniper (although they need to have a juniper flavour in the US), so there are almost certainly some blends that don't play particularly well with wormwood. I'll grant that those are likely odd, smaller batch gins that the OP wouldn't be judging martinis in general by.
Yeah, I know. I've been bartending in some pretty nice places over the years and am friends with some of the best bartenders in the states. Also, wormwood is rarely, rarely found in vermouth anymore, so there's that...
Seeing as he listed about 8 combinations he's tried, yeah, I think maybe it's time to admit defeat on this one. How's that old saying go? Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me eight times, maybe I don't like martinis.
Although I'm interested to see where the great wormwood debate leads us. We've seen Esh's credentials, but maybe Bagginses can one up him here. Time will tell.
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Well, as the saying goes, a drink is only as good as its cheapest ingredient. A shitty vermouth (which most people use) is gonna break a martini.
EDIT: I'll swing by a couple places after classes tomorrow to ask a couple people. I have to head past those restaurants/bars anyway on my way to Powell's and then to eat oysters.
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Gordon's and Turkey are just fine liquors. Now, if you said Monarch...
Of course, this could all be like wine pairings in that it's something that obnoxious people do for marginal gains on enjoyment when simply drinking what you like is more effective and easier.
That's my take. I can't imagine the variation is great enough to suddenly change his mind. He might find it more tolerable, but that's not really worth the effort. Remember, he's describing them as "godawful." I love martinis, some more than others, but even the worst didn't offend me to the point of not taking some satisfaction. If a drink requires the perfect mix, with the perfect brands to be passable, I'm not sure it's a drink I'd get into personally.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
Yep. I mentioned this in the second post.
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Martini + Rossi Dry Vermouth
3 friggin huge green olives.
I add the vermouth to a shaker full of ice then drain it out. Add the Gin and let it set for 5 minutes in the fridge then pour into a chilled glass. Add the olives and I am a happy happy man.
I try not to mix cheap with mid/expensive either. If I grab cheap vodka, that means I'm getting cheap vermouth.
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my only other advice: never drink a martini from a wine glass
Now, it's quite possible to just make a Vesper Martini instead, since it goes down much smoother (I find) and be all "Bond, James Bond".
So much wrong here.
1. A martini uses dry vermouth, not sweet.
2. You don't let it sit in ice for 5 minutes (waters it down waaaaaay too much). You put the ingredients (minus garnish) into a stainless steel shaking tin. FILL with ice. Stir 15-20 times one way, then 15-20 times the other way. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish. Good to go.
If it is actually a different drink, that's a different story.
http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/20/cocktail_spirit_wet_martini/
It would be a completely different drink. What that guy is drinking is closer to a Gin Martinez (lacking the maraschino and bitters though). A martini is gin (sometimes vodka), dry vermouth, done.
Digging through my drink books, that might be called a "Sweet Martini", but no one's drank one of those in almost 100 years. Basically what I'm saying is that if you walked into a bar and ordered a "Martini", Gin/Vodka and Dry Vermouth is what you're getting. I doubt 99% of bartenders would know what a Sweet Martini is.
Anyhoo, where's the OP?
Nope. That's the most common (and only that I know of) way. One worth his salt should know what you mean.
Argh. You're right. I meant dry vermouth. Also, I let it sit on ice in the fridge so it doesn't water it down much.
Okay, that last part's pretty tenuous. "Sweet," "perfect," and "dry" are almost always in reference to vermouth type. Most bartenders will think you're just asking for a variation on the fly, but I can't imagine it tripping anyone up. I'm pretty sure you know this, so I'm going to chalk it up to a brain fart on one of our parts.
Americano variants and possibly the el presidente.
It's an extremely antiquated drink that hasn't come back into vogue unlike a lot of pre-prohibition drinks. If someone asked me for a Sweet Martini my response would be something like, "Sooooo, you want a...martini with sweet vermouth?". Like I said, many years (in one of the more serious cocktail cities in the country) and I've never had anyone order one. It's that rare.
*edit*
And yes, I've been refrigerating the vermouth. The one constant has been Martini & Rossi vermouth, and I like both the regular and extra dry straight. Gin has been Gordon's, Beefeater, and Bombay (the vermouth bottle told me to!). I mix my drink's really cold - when my hands ache and the shaker's frosted over is when I know it's time to pour.
Straight gin is totally not my thing, but I like it in other mixed drinks.
Also, in martinis I really notice a big difference from using the more expensive gin brands. If you're using bottom shelf gin it'll probably taste bad, whereas I don't really notice the difference in gin and tacos.
Drink them on the rocks with a twist of lemon.
Now this I agree with... except for the lemon. I hate lemon.
What else is in your liquor cabinets? Just adding something from the fridge to what we've confirmed you have, a bronx might be nice. There are both gold (yolk) and silver (white) versions, and I'm sure a royal (both) would be nice. A negroni would also possibly work with the dry we know you have if you use classic proportions rather that the more gin-heavy proportions that have become popular as gin quality has increased.
If you really want to give the people you're drinking with a heart attack, try a New Englander.