The Cocktail Spirit with Robert HessMartini
It is time perhaps that we tackle that quintessential cocktail, the Martini. This drink originated in the late 1800�s, and quickly became one of the standards, alongside the Manhattan. The pre-prohibition Martini however was different from what you might expect today in many ways, and frankly it was a lot better for it.
NOTE: Ok, so you got me pontificating about the Martini so much that I messed up making the dry Martini in this episode. I should have added a dash of orange bitters to the dry Martini cocktail just like I did to the sweet version.
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Recipe
Sweet Martini
- 1 1/2 oz Gin
- 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
- dash orange bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with Maraschino Cherry
The Dry Martini
- 1 1/2 oz Gin
- 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
- dash orange bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass
DO NOT SHAKE
Garnish with a lemon twist
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Comments
The “sweet” Martini is one of the drinks I serve to folks who say they don’t normally like gin. While for some, even the slightest hint of gin still is unacceptable to them, many find this drink absolutely delightful.
In many bars in the UK when you ask for
the Dry Martini it will be made by coating
the ice with vermouth in a boston glass
and discarding excess
before stiring the ice with gin/vodka.
My customers ask for Dry Martini,Extra Dry Martini,
Martini Dry, Martini Extra Dry and there is no consistency in terminology. I was trying to figure out how it should be but
I still have no idea.
Maybe it should be like that;
> Dry Martini = ratio simillar to the one you used, gin/vodka + vermouth stirred together
> Extra Dry Martini = wet Martini, more vermouth,
gin/vodka + vermouth stirred together
> Martini Dry = verry small amount of vermouth,
different methods of making; for instance:
-vermouth poured out after coating the ice
-in/out
-using the atomizer
> Martini Extra Dry = no vermouth used
???
Pedro,
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to address a “consistency” in Martini terminology. Something about when the insane are running the asylum, or some such reference :->
For the standard customer, the “most” vermouth that should be added to a gin Martini, is just a slight splash. If they ask for their gin Martini “extra dry”, then you do the “swirl & dump” (put a little vermouth in the empty glass, then dump it out). For a “vodka Martini”, you start out with the “swirl & dump”, and then if they ask for it “extra dry”, you don’t use any vermouth at all.
Myself, when I want a gin Martini with a healthy amount of vermouth in it, I have to ask for it “extra wet”.
-Robert
I must that after a few tries I almost gave up on this cocktail. Either I didn’t like gin, or simply didn’t like Martini. After trying the Jasmine I gave it another try with Tanqueray. This made all the diference!! And always sweet martini.
Thank you so much, Robert!
I never really understood the Martini until I found you site. I would have never thought that the orange bitters were that important.
Since I stumbled across your site three months ago, I haven’t bought a single case of beer. This is quite amazing because I live in Germany.
Thank you for inspiring my sense of taste every Monday!
Andre, glad you’ve been enjoying the shows!
THE MARTINI
There is something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant;
A yellow, a mellow Martini;
I wish I had one at present.
There is something about a Martini,
Ere the dining and dancing begin,
And to tell you the truth,
It is not the vermouth—
I think that perhaps it’s the gin.
- Ogden Nash
It’s not cloudy, it’s opalescent!
Thanks so much for the poem, Thomas!
Good ol’ Nash.
Where did you find your Martini Stirrer that you used on this episode? Thanks
Great job as always. Intrestingly, while reading an old Robert Heinlein short story published around 1938-39, one of the characters orders a Martini and says to, “make it an italian”. Obviously with sweet vermouth!
I’m wondering about the glassware used in this episode. I absolutely love the glass used for the sweet martini. It seems a near impossible task to find a good array of properly sized, classic designed glassware. Are those vintage pieces? Thanks so much, Cheers!
Charles,
The glass used for the dry martini is from my grandmothers estate, and the glass for the sweet martini is one I picked up at a local restaurant store… it was on “clearance” because they were having a hard time selling this “odd” looking glass. Sheesh. :->
Amazingly, as you can see, these two are actually the same pattern.
-Robert
I’m really enjoying your shows, and it’s really nice to see how martinis are supposed to be made. On a side note, in the original James Bond books, he would ask for his martinis stirred not shaken. It was only changed in the movies to sound better. Keep up the good work.
This is not simply true. In the novel Diamonds are Forever he uses the phrase and I think also in Dr. No. In Casino Royale this is how he orders the first Vesper he invents. Elsewhere—You Only Live Twice, I think—he orders it stirred. Moody, perhaps?
Anyway, I take the colder “shaken,” but not as fiercly as you did it, and risk the cloudyness.
Mr. Bond’s drinks were all over the place in the books, I started trying to keep track of what he drank and how he drank it, and gave up halfway through Live & Let Die because it started to seem pointless :->
Fred… as a slight aside, you can get a drink just as cold stirring as you do shaking (it just takes a little longer). Technically it can be argued that stirring should get even colder because shaking is imparting more energy into the process, which would be converted to heat.
Agreed about Bond. Bourbonand branch, bourbon straight, Gin and Tonics (extra fresh lime). I was just amazed how he (and Felix) could have 2 double vodka Martinis and then go to work, especially where I might have to use firearms.
When I made a Martini last night (I intended to make it with sweet vermouth and found I was out. I will rectify that on the way home tonight._) I realized that I’ve fallen into using the shaker but gently stirring rather than shaking.
I appreciate finding your site, by the way, and re: the Old Fashioned show, I am now scrared to order it out, but do make it at home.
I’ve mentioned finding your site in my blog category “cocktails” at http://blog.avolio.com/search/label/cocktails
999,999 out of 1,000,000 people do not expect this drink when they say “Martini.” This should instead be called a “Gin-Hater’s Martini,” or some such thing, not that I understand why anybody would want a martini if they don’t like gin. If a modern martini (at least 5 - 1 gin/vermoth ratio) is not “balanced” because it tastes too much like gin, and if a cocktail must be “balanced,” then fine, a martini is not a “cocktail,” it’s a gin drink. But even if this thing you’re making is a proper “cocktail,” it is not a martini as almost anybody uses the word. It’s something else.
Apparently there’s some sort of movement away from the modern martini. There was an article by Jason Wilson in the 2/4/09 Washington Post that quoted Mr. Hess (paraphrase: a modern martini is for alcoholics) and the always interesting David Wondrich (paraphrase: a modern martini is for people who are posing as macho, and is “pretty much undrinkable”). It’s all very interesting historically, and it’s always fun to play with drink recipes. But if a bartender wants to suggest I try this thing when I order a martini, he or she better warn me. I might be interested to try this sort of variant, for historical interest or to try something different, and I might even enjoy it as long as I’m expecting something unusual, but it’s NOT what I mean when I ask for a martini.
There are so many wonderful, unique gins being made nowadays, and if you make a 3 -1 martini, and move further from a martini as most people use the word by adding orange bitters, you literally have no idea what the gin you’re drinking tastes like. In a 3 - 1 martini with bitters, you can hardly tell Hendricks from G’Vine from Plymouth from freaking Beefeater, because you’re confusing the botanicals in the gin with those in the vermouth and the bitters. Those of us who actually enjoy gin—apparently a tiny minority—will drink it straight to sample the craftsmanship of the distillers, but we also enjoy martinis, as a gin drink, if not a “cocktail.” And contrary to what you said, a 5 - 1 or 6 -1 or even 7 - 1 martini most definitely does NOT taste like pure gin, it’s hard to know how you can even say that.
Love your site, by the way, and i’m learning a lot. It’s just that I also love gin, and I really believe that if you don’t, you should just steer clear of the martini.
I profoundly disagree that a 3-to-1 Martini masks the character of the gin being used. Yes, it subtle. It’s a cocktail, not a showcase of a particular spirit.
If you want chilled gin with a dash of dry vermouth, order that. Be gin proud and order what you like!
But it is no more a Martini than chilled whiskey with a dash of sweet vermouth is a Manhattan.
Frankly, I disagree with Robert here about not drinking straight gin. Some are lovely with just a little ice melt.There are also spirits-forward drinks that showcase a given spirit - I had a fantastic Gin Old Fashioned with Death’s Door gin on my last visit to The Violet Hour, for example.
Dinah, your post has good points, but it also sent me off Googling Death’s Door gin, which I had never heard of, here in Texas. I’ve now mail-ordered a bottle, which I’ll look forward to trying, so thanks for the mention of that. While reading around a bit, I came across someone reviewing it and he made a point that I’ve been thinking about.
Some of the gins coming on the market in the last decade or so are softer and with unique botanicals, so that they almost seem made to be drunk straight. I made myself a drink a little earlier, 5 - 1 Aviation gin with Vya Extra Dry vermouth, where both gin and vermouth are unique, and the drink was just weird, not enjoyable. I don’t think it would have been any better at a different proportion, I think Aviation gin just doesn’t make a good martini. These new-fangled gins seem to need a new-fangled approach, and I’m not sure what to do with some of them, other than just drink them straight from the freezer…and yes, contrary to Robert’s thoughts, I’m afraid I do keep my gin of the moment in the freezer.
David, Robert’s point was that some water should be part if a cocktail. Also, I am pretty sure his purpose was to present a classic Martini.
I enjoyed learning where the “dry” distinction came from, and it rings true. I have made a sweet Martini, and enjoyed it, and still enjoy dry Martinis.
I typically like a 5-1 ratio. I had read that cocktails should be 3 ounces.
Hi David,
I think you’ll really like the Death’s Door. The other ones I’ve been enjoying lately are Leopold’s and, especially, CapRock.
The CapRock in particular is great just over an ice cube. Stunningly good stuff!
Cheers!
David,
You raise a number of good points, as well as points that I think I need to provide some additional clarifications for.
You are correct in saying that the dry Martini as presented in this episode is not what most customers would expect if they were to go to a bar and simply order a “Martini”. It IS however what customers in pre-Prohibition America would have expected. If I were to put this drink on a cocktail menu I would take care to list it as something like “Pre-Prohibition Martini” or some-such which would require a customer to specifically order it.
I disagree however that this is a “gin-haters” Martini. The goal of any cocktail should be one of “balance”, which means not only a balance of sweet to sour (in a “Margarita” style of cocktail), but also a balance of the spirit which it contains. This doesn’t mean to “mask” the spirit, or even push it to the background, but it does mean that the spirit should not stand head and shoulders above everything else. It should instead be “sharing” the stage properly with each of the other ingredients.
For me, a cocktail should “celebrate” the spirit, and as such, you should always be able to taste the spirit in a cocktail, but it also shouldn’t slap you in the face with its presence. For a drink like the Martini, I recommend people experiment to find their own personal balance. The goal should be to mix it at just the right ratio so that you almost can’t tell where the gin stops, and the vermouth begins. And the dash of orange bitters is an important piece of this equation.
Dinah,
I’m not saying that drinking straight gin is a bad thing, just that it’s not something that the average drinker does. If you were to tally all of the times that a customer asks for a particular spirit “straight” at the bar, gin will always be virtually non-existant. I use the points I touch upon in this video to help somebody who “thinks” they don’t like gin to realize that perhaps they just haven’t had a properly made gin cocktail yet. I like to compare this with introducing somebody to wine. I wouldn’t start them off with a hearty Zinfandel, instead I’d have them try a sweet and less complicated white wine, and then over time get them used to some of the dryer and more complex red wines. Gin has a flavor which the “beginner” will find daunting, if not discusting, and so you need to gradtually introduce their palate to these flavors.
Good clarification, Robert, thanks.
Yes, straight gin drinking is for freaks. Mmm, gin.
...
By the way, re: prior discussion of bitters & amari, have you tried the Zucca Rabarbaro yet? Wonderful smoky odd stuff. We got our bottle in London at the Whisky Exchange. http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9248.aspx
I love it when any client of mine asks for a Martini. With so many contemporary cocktails proving so much more popular, I always imagine Speakeasys when I stir a Martini. Orange water is something that I have never tried and therefore plan to order and experiment. I also agree, that whilst James Bond is a very cool character on screen, he has been invented from a book, and I Mr Hess, will take your side every time. Having said that, after the recent release of the latest bond, a peaked interest in a Vesper Martini has occured which I encourage greatly. However, I like to add a flamed orange zest as I feel it adds that much needed balance to a terrifyingly strong drink. Qouted in the “Diffords Guide” as, enough alcohol to drop a Rhino, or something along those lines. I also feel that with most drinks in a “cocktail” glass. The glass should be pre-chilled, and the cocktail should always be double strained. First through the hawthorne followed by the sieve! Heres to the rejuvination of such classics, like the Martini. Cheers!
Robert, The response you had for David and Dinah really helped clear up questions I had about the pre-prohibition martini. The biggest reason is I hate traditional Martinis. The first Martini I ever drank tasted like the bartender poured Pinesol in a glass and served it to me. Since then I’ve never had another cocktail with gin. Vodka all the way. But this segment gave me a ray of hope that I might be able to try another traditional Martini. I like the idea of balance in a cocktail. I have always thought that but didn’t realize that’s how a cocktail is supposed to be made since a large portion of bartenders rarely achieve balance in a cocktail. I also like the fact that you bring the art back into cocktails which I find is rare. I have a copy of the New York Bartender’s Guide and would like to try several different cocktails. I have yet to find a bartender that can make a drink that I would like to try from that book. They always ask me what’s in that? Now granted if I were asking for a strange off the wall drink from an obscure text I would expect that but this is from a book that has been in circulation for decades that I thought was considered a bible for bartenders? Many times I’m almost offended they are asking, especially a cocktail that is a classic. Is there a bar in Seattle you would recommend above anywhere else in town? I’m not looking for a trendy, hip, loud, obnoxious meat market which seams to be the norm for some of the most popular spots. Just looking for a comfortable, welcoming place were the cocktails are fab and so are the people and I don’t have to bring my own copy of the Bartender’s Drink Guide in order to try something new.
Laurie,
The problem you describe is oh-so-common. Both in avoiding gin due to a bad “first experience”, and having problems finding bartenders who can execute a properly balanced cocktail.
One problem with relying on recipes from a book like the “New York Bartender’s Guide” is that there are over 1,000 recipes in this book and I dare say a lot of them are going to be ones most bartenders have never heard of, much less have memorized. There are indeed some “classic” cocktails in that list, but some are so classic that they haven’t been commonly made in over 90 years. When you begin asking for drinks from such a book, many bartenders are thinking you are simply playing “stumb the bartender”, which has a tendency to not get things off on the right food. When I am wanting a drink that “maybe” the bartender might not know, I always do three things… first I look over the selection of liquors that they have, and try to determine if they have all of the ingredients necessary… second I ask them by saying “By chance do you know the recipe for…”, and thirdly I always have the recipe on-hand on my PDA so I can show it to them so they can make it. (You can access my online list of recipes from a web enabled phone by going to http://www.DrinkBoy.com/mobile ).
As I was reading your post, I was thinking to myself “I need to find out what city she lives in so I can hopefully give her a recommendation for a good bar to try…” Thankfully you did, and thankfully you live in Seattle! Which is one of the best cities in the country to find some great bars.
My first recommendation would be the Zig Zag Cafe. They are located on the stairway that leads from the Pike Place market down to the Seattle Aquarium. They are about halfway down on the north side. Look for their outdoor patio seating. They are extremely casual, and I would highly recommend getting a seat at the bar. They open at 5pm, and personally I recommend getting there early because the bar fills up quickly. Murray is their star bartender, and he works Tues-Fri. Let him know you got a recommendation from here, and he’ll be sure to take good care of you.
I also recommend Vessel, Sambar, Chantantee Thai (in Bellevue), the bar at Canlis… and that’s just a start.