Martini

The spec

Two and a half ounces of gin, half an ounce of dry vermouth, stirred longer than feels necessary, into a glass that’s been in the freezer. That’s a 5 : 1, which is where most modern bars start. The card you keep should say whatever ratio you finish.

Cold is the recipe. A Martini has no citrus, no sugar, and no ice in the glass. Everything it has going for it is temperature and texture. Stir a full thirty seconds and chill the glass. A warm Martini is the reason people think they don’t like them.

Vermouth, fresh. A Martini’s vermouth is often the oldest bottle on the shelf, which is why so many of them taste musty. Keep it refrigerated and replace it every month or two. If the bottle has been open since a previous apartment, that’s the problem, not the gin.

Where people disagree

• Ratio. 5:1 is modern-dry. 2:1 is the pre-war “wet” Martini and it’s having a revival for good reason: the vermouth is doing work. 15:1 is a cold glass of gin, which is fine if that’s what you want, but write “15:1” on the card rather than “dry.”
• Gin or vodka. A vodka Martini is a legitimate drink with the same card and one word changed.
• Twist or olive. Different drinks. The twist adds oils and aroma; the olive adds brine and makes the drink taste saltier and rounder. “Dirty” means olive brine in the drink itself, usually ¼–½ oz, which is its own card.
• Bitters. A dash of orange bitters is period-correct and quietly improves most Martinis. Leave it off if you like the gin unadorned.

Make it yours

The Martini is the drink where a card earns its keep, because the spec is a preference rather than a recipe. Try 2:1, 4:1, and 6:1 on three nights, same gin, same vermouth. Whichever you finish is your Martini. Write the ratio, the gin, and the vermouth on one card and stop reinventing it.

A 50/50 (1½ oz gin, 1½ oz dry vermouth) is the version worth trying if you’ve only ever had dry ones. Lower proof, more flavour, and a good way to appreciate what vermouth actually tastes like.