By: jfelias

There’s something supremely masculine yet elegant about a martini, and everything about the drink reinforces that reputation. From Frank Sinatra to Ernest Hemingway to James Bond, the list of martini aficionados reads like a who’s who of men’s men. Becoming a martini guy requires simply learning a thing or two about the drink and then enjoying them frequently with a smooth, caressing indulgence. You’ll find that everything you do and say takes on an incomparable charm and wit with a chilled martini in your hand.

If you don’t already own martini glasses and a cocktail shaker, go out and buy them right now. While you’re out, pick up a few different kinds of gin, a bottle of dry vermouth, cocktail olives, and toothpicks. When you get home, put the glasses, shaker, and gin in the freezer, and put the vermouth in the fridge.

Before we start mixing, a little background. A martini is a drink of gin and vermouth of ambiguous origin, garnished with olives or a twist of lemon. If you prefer vodka, by all means use vodka, but you’ve got a different drink, a vodka martini. Interestingly, James Bond’s martini, the Vesper, calls for both gin and vodka.

By: Apostelman

To make a martini, put a few cubes of ice into the shaker. Add a few ounces of gin and a splash of vermouth the proportions are totally up to you. The less vermouth, the drier the martini. Legend has it that Winston Churchill would pour the gin, look across the room at the vermouth bottle, then drink the gin.

To mix and chill your martini, you can either shake it vigorously or stir it. As with so many of life’s finer indulgences, it’s really just a matter of taste. Shaking tends to strengthen the flavor a bit, but with a martini that’s not necessarily a good thing. Shaking also adds a little air and bits of ice, which cloud the drink, while purists may demand their martini be crystal clear. Some may say that shaking “bruises” the gin, but that’s not the case (a Bloody Mary can be bruised, meaning the tomato juice breaks down and becomes watery, but that’s not an issue with a martini). I would say, do whatever you like.

By: markmiller

Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with either olives or a twist of lemon peel. When garnishing your martini with olives, always use an odd number (either one or three, or possibly five). The odd number is borrowed from the old Sicilian tradition of only serving an odd number of coffee beans in a glass of sambuca. Legend has it that an odd number of beans welcomes your guests, while an even number was a sign that you might soon meet with rather unfortunate circumstances.

To make a lemon twist, cut a thin sliver of lemon rind with a sharp knife. Rub the rind around the rim of the glass, give it a good, firm twist to release the oils, and drop it into the glass.

Variations

The classic martini, as described above, is served “neat,” straight up in a martini glass. Martinis can also be served “on the rocks,” with ice in a tumbler. There are innumerable variations on the recipe, but the only one true purist will accept is the “dirty martini,” which calls for the addition of a splash of brine from the olive jar.

Martini Moments

By: imelenchon

Martinis are best when they are ice cold. That means you should always hold your glass by the stem, so your hands don’t warm the drink.

A black tie ensemble is not required for martini drinking, although nothing accessorizes a tux quite like a cool martini. Martinis add a bit of maturity and class to any get-together. Be sure to keep all your supplies chilled and ready, since you’ll never know when you might be called upon to make your famous martinis.