I pour 1/2 oz. of dry vermouth into the mixing glass, add ice and stir, then pour most of it out. I then add the gin, stir, and strain into the chilled glass. Not sure of the ratio, but it works for me!
I also like a wet martini and used to make them in a 50/50 ratio. But I decided to cut back on the vermouth slightly and started going with a 60/40 split. I described this shift to my financial planner wife one evening, and she immediately likened the 60/40 ratio to stocks and bonds - and we’ve called my 60/40 martini a “Balanced Portfolio” ever since! 😊
Yay, Anders! You did 2:1. When I make martinis for my friends, they are in the 3:1 crowd, but I make mine 2:1 cause I like vermouth. Now the next time we are doing cocktails, I'll be able to drop "Well, Anders agrees with me."
The 3:1 measurement should be the standard everywhere unless you specify you want 2:1. So if I order a martini in a restaurant and it's not 3:1 I would be offended.
Usually do 3:1, Plymouth gin with Dolin. Mine is usually a Gibson, garnished with cocktail onions and I make my wife a Martini with olives. However today is my birthday, so instead of making a Martini, I'll be putting some glasses in the freezer and sharing this video with my family.🥳🍸
If you’re adventurous or bored you can add a sprig of fresh rosemary to make it slightly herbal. And it can also look nice too since some high end bars add it to cocktails. Also easy to have a rosemary plant in the backyard for future recipes.
Anders, I did it! Made my first martini and it was truly an unexpected treat. I am a classic rye manhattan drinker and decided that for a change I wanted another simple, classic cocktail as a go-to. Thank you for removing the mystique and providing a very "martini esque" recipe-Neat, Clean Simple, and delicious.
I can help you with the James Bond reference, and why it's unique: "Vodka Martini, twist of lemon, crushed ice, shaken not stirred". Clearly, this doesn't make the best martini, but that's because Bond didn't want the best martini. What he wanted was to have the weakest martini possible so he could keep his wits and mislead his opponents watching. The crushed ice is used to dilute the drink the most. It has to be shaken to increase the dilution. But gin cannot be used as when shaken it will go cloudy, which would be a giveaway that something was wrong with the drink. So he switched in vodka which does not go cloudy (as much).
I leave my premium gin and my glass in the freezer. There is no need to stir the gin in ice. I first pour a smidge of vermouth in the glass and swirl to cover all sides. The gin pours like syrup. I then garnish my drink with three stuffed olives. The martini is very cold, smooth, and pure.
So i've been wanting to get into home bartending when hosting. i stumbled upon your channel and instantly went down the rabbit hole of content! My wife and I hosted our first party after moving and while I am/was confident on the cooking side of things, you and your channel really helped me be more confident behind the bar. Still a lot to learn and absorb, but just wanted to say thank you (and Leandro) for being a part of the party and making things more accessible at home :)
Been looking forward to this video ever since you teased us of your martini ratios on the “how to shop for a bar on a budget” video. Looking forward to when you go over the vesper and dirty martinis in the future, keep up the great work!
Without a doubt, the most argued recipe I've ever dealt with in cocktail making. After endless research, I happily ended up at a 2.5:1 ratio, with all other versions feeding off of that. Thanks for another enjoyable vid, Anders. Cheers ✌
Interesting idea using both a lemon twist and an olive. The martini that I make for myself is 1:1:1 gin, and sweet and dry vermouths. It's inspired by one featured in the Educated Barfly's martini episode. Love the channel, keep up the excellent work Anders!
Perfect, Anders! You’re the go to RU-vid mixologist for me. Dolin is my choice as well, and love to pair it with Plymouth gin. Have also recently started to include a dash of orange bitters. Agree that the size of the drink - as with all ‘up’ cocktails - is crucial. I remember that ridiculous trend in the 90s of serving them in seven ounce fishbowls.
Amen to itty-bitty martinis, No go to ‘big warm martini’. This is why I love making martinis or cocktails at home. I’m finding more and more that the general bar (emphasis on general) do not know how to make martinis or cocktails for that matter. Thank you so so much for sharing your knowledge… I can’t begin to express my gratitude!
Would love to see another martini themed video with variations, e.g. blanc vermouth, gin + vermouth pairings you like, or improved recipes with a 3rd component (Benedictine, etc). Definitely a diplomatic approach. Great video as always.
Agreed on this - When you lead in with all the different ratios, I was hoping there would be some compare and contrast between the different recipes. I'm also a big believer that which gin you put in a (gin) martini can have a pronounced effect on the final drink, mostly because there are so few ingredients in one, so a comparison of different gins (i.e something like Hendricks vs a true london dry gin) would have been interesting as well.
This is fun. I love learning about some of the "main" cocktails. I love gin and vermouth. Do you have a vermouth video...if not that would be a good video. I am still not sure about vermouths.
@@AndersEricksondon't forget to talk about Bonal if you're doing a fortified wine segment! My favorite substitute for anything that calls for sweet vermouth :) Gran Bassano is also fantastic for any thing that asks for a blanc style, like Mata Blanco or Lillet Blanc.
Lately I've been on a martini kick. I've been doing a 2:1 ratio using Ford's gin and Dolin vermouth, with a couple dashes of orange bitters, and depending on my mood either a lemon twist (and I rub the lemon peel all around the glass before sticking it on the rim at the end), or a couple olives. I haven't tried garnishing with both olive and lemon, but now I am intrigued...
I was doing Ford's / Dolin for a while - while I had that bottle of Ford's anyway. Because a lot of people seem to recommend Ford's. And it was good. But a buddy of mine who really likes Gin came over and brought Hendrick's, another version of Hendrick's and Nolet's. Kinda weird to bring that much Gin now that I think of it. Anwyay, in a head to head taste test, I found Ford's to be a little harsh compared to the others. I like a Hendrick's / Noilly Prat now. Just something you might want to try . . . And I am also going to try lemon + olive. Kinda thought it should be one or the other.
I used to not like martinis. But I have a bottle of cask finished gin from a local distiller that’s (to my nose) ultra-floral. Making this recipe, with that gin, knocked my socks of with how good it was. I was stunned.
Also would like to add. 1) Thank you for your videos...they're excellent! 2) Thanks for finally tackling the martini and hope you cover more history and variations (like the Vesper or even the Aviator.) and 3) for an idea, how about throwback cocktails from the 60's and 70's that have disappeared (probably for good reason) like the Harvey Wallbanger, Grasshopper, ...and later Skip and Go Naked or Screaming O.
I highly recommend “the perfect martini” 1/2 oz dry vermouth , 1/2 oz sweet vermouth, and 2 oz of London dry. I do mine stirred, straight up with a lemon twist. Fantastic
A neat prohibition era recipe for the martini (passed down from my great-grandfather who was an influential boston lawyer who happened to make bathtub gin) was a 4:1 martini with a barspoon of sweet vermouth floated on top because the bathtub gin wasn't very good and needed some masking.
Just discovered your channel and am addicted! Made this recipe last night and loved your ratio of vermouth to gin! Also inspired me to add a mixing glass and strainer to my home bar kit. Cheers to you both for a fun and informative channel 🍸
Made my first ever martini last night and just saw this vid this morning so I will have to try again :) I also made a small one and halved the recipe so I appreciate your measurements!!
Great coverage of all the bases. The martini is one of the most personal cocktails. Every flavor is right out there, nowhere to hide, so different proportions or different brands have an enormous difference in flavor. The best martini is the one you make for yourself after trying dozens of combinations. Other people's martinis...stink. Happy hunting. Cheers!
Add ice and Leonce Vermouth to shaker. Shake and then strain out liquid. Add Gin (Isle of Harris) and celery bitters to the ice. Stir and strain into glass. Lemon twist and if I want more savory elements, I add homemade pickle brine.
Great video. Haven't had one of these for a while. A classic cocktail that you can tailor to your own taste. I prefer gin and mixed 4 parts gin to 1 vermouth. I always shake. Never tried stirred so perhaps I'll give that a go soon. Cin cin 🍸
@1betterthanyou1 Well it started with the Martinez made with Old Tom Gin and sweet vermouth, evolved to dry gin, then evolved further to include vodka. Starting in the 1950's the Vodka Martini has been around for 8 decades. But if you prefer gin, you do you. Cheers!
The best Martini is the one you like drinking the way you like drinking it. A couple weeks ago I had somebody order a gin martini stirred up in a rocks glass with a sugar rim and an orange slice.
My current favorite is a dirty martini with Bertha's Revenge Small Batch Irish Milk Gin. I use 2.5 oz gin, 0.25 oz dry vermouth, 0.25 oz olive brine, lemon oil and olive garnish (stirred and served up). The cumin in the gin works really well with the saltiness of the brine. I may increase the vermouth to see how the flavor changes but right now it's a solid drink for me and my partner!
So good! Please give us some more about martinis and also different vermouth drinks. Just discovered vermouth and looking for ways to use it the best way possible 🙌
Funny you mention the tiny martini. There’s this one bar in my city that makes a full martini, pours roughly half of it into a small martini glass and the rest into a carafe that they put on ice. So you drink your tiny martini then when you’re ready, you’ve got another ice cold one ready to go.
A shaken martini has a thin layer of ice shards on top, which has a really nice mouth feel. My drink is an extra-dry Hendricks martini, straight up with a lemon twist.
Great video! Personally I prefer these kind of videos, where you talk about 1 single cocktail, going in detail and talking a bit about the history as well. Also like a lot the booze tasting, like those you did on rum and mezcal. Hope too see more of these 2 types! Cheers!!
I heard 2 interesting theories on the Bond thing: he ordered them shaken either to dilute more and help him keep his wits about him or as a code to the bartender he’s in cahoots with to secretly serve him water. Interesting theories!
Your first comment I agree with. Ian Fleming was a cocktail aficionado and would have known that stirring was preferable. It's therefore logical that Bond deliberately went for the additional dilution. The Vesper MartinI also calls for a mix of gin & vodka, resulting in a lighter taste but not as devoid of flavour as 100% vodka would be. 7:28
I had read that Ian Fleming wanted to show that his character James Bond was cold and brutal. Ian Fleming knew what a good Martini was and stirring the Martini was to avoid "bruising the gin" A vodka Martini was "tasteless" and odorless as well. I prefer my Martini with both sweet and dry vermouth and a teaspoon of olive brine with a good London dry gin.
I don't like martinis.... until I realized I don't like the way I WAS making martinis. So I made this one right along with you, including the orange bitters, olive, etc. 😮Ok, this is good. This is waaaay better than whatever I was doing before. THANK YOU. Now I like martinis.
Touching on different gins might have helped for those that don’t know a lot about it. London Dry is the best to start with. I find American gin to be all over the map in terms of flavor profile, and some can really clash with the end product you are trying to create. I love the idea of increasing the vermouth ratio and the lemon twist.
That is very close to my build for a martini. I like Brokers gin 2:1 or 2:1.5 with Noilly Prat and a dash of grapefruit bitters. Stirred nicely, serve up with expressed lemon oil and two olives. Elegant, simple and delicious. It is liquid modernism. Cheers.
The loveliest allusion to this drink I've ever heard was in the movie "Moonstruck," when John Mahoney tells Olympia Dukakis about his pursuit of much younger women. "Then she figures out I'm just this old gasbag, and she's as bright and fresh and full of promise as moonlight in Martini.". Isn't that pretty picture?!
1. Your fresh cut looks good, my guy. 2. Thank you for explaining what a wet martini is. I've wondered... though clearly not enough to look it up. 3. I'm realizing you've given me enough reason/recipes to purchase a bottle of vermouth. Cheers.
Anders, I subbed to you early on when COVID started - I really like the direction ur channel is going. History, context, controversy, and entertainment!
My father-in-law liked his martinis extra, extra dry. He would stir the gin and ice, spritz the inside of the glass with one pump of dry vermouth, then pour in the chilled gin. He was a Tanqueray man and he taught me to love this classic cocktail. Great video, I can't wait to try adding the orange bitters.
LOVE the graphics! Very zingy and professional. My parents were party people, and slept in late Saturday and Sunday mornings. My hungry brother and I scoured the living room for stray peanuts, chip crumbs, air temp dips and uneaten olives in the bottom of cocktail glasses. If there was gin melt water, we drank it. Can't even take the smell of a martini to this day. But enjoyed the tutorial anyway :) Very interesting.
Thanks!! One of my recipes: 2oz Gin (today Plymouth) 1 dash of Peychaud’s bitters (from a large bottle) 1/4 ts Campari 1oz Dolin’s vermouth (a sloppy pour/ over pour) 1/2 oz castelvetrano olive brim All poured over crushed ice stirred 20 sec. Strained into a coupe/ allowing a few pieces ice to fall into the glass. Love the sound of ice hitting thin crystals Garnished with sun flower blossom and olive. Something, something… time to make another!! So, dirty and wet 😊😊
My dad only drinks two cocktails. A Manhattan in the winter (which he only makes for himself sometimes) and a “martini” throughout the year. His order, in his own words: Hendricks, up. Blindingly cold (the man wants to see ice chips in the glass if possible). Two cocktail onions if you have them. Never seen him order a single other drink when we’re out
Gin dry vermouth and olives for me served straight up .. But instead of just chilling the glass make the drink (without olives) and put in freezer the day before as well. You'll taste the difference.
An important video since many people in the 1970s, 80s and 90s were never exposed to quality cocktails after they went out of style from the mid 20th century. Great to see them becoming popular again in the 21st century
I was a bit afraid - but Anders did an excellent job for the Martini Cocktail. I would prefer it in-and-out. I think the cocktail is more unique like that and has a very distinct texture and effect, what it doesn’t get when it is wetter. But these are preferences. Also: great idea to use orange bitters. If you ever make a slightly wetter Martini cocktail, always use orange bitters (the in and out version simply doesn’t need the bitters - strangely enough). Great job!
Oh do I love Martinis and in moderation of course!! 6:1!! That's my preference with a London Dry Gin, very Juniper forward! Stirred, never shaken and 2 dashes of orange bitters! I also love a lemon garnish. I use what I can get here for Vermouth and usually it's Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth or a beautiful Esquimalt Dry Vermouth - made locally!! I adore the small Martini like you have made here Anders! This amazing cocktail stays bracingly cold made this way and a Martini must be bracingly cold!! Once in awhile I like a Martini on the rocks but usually I like the Martini up in a glass similar to what you are using here!! Fabulous video! Cheers!! 🙂
I've always like martini cocktails, but for some reason I couldn't seem to get mine right for my taste. Not until I added 1-2 dashes of orange bitters, it's so little but makes a huge difference, at least for my taste. My ratio is a little different than yours, but I'll try yours and see how it goes for me!
The wet/dry distinction has always intrigued me. There was a poll on Reddit not long ago about what ratio constitutes dry v. wet and the responses were all over the place. Lesson learned - when ordering in a bar, tell them the exact ratios you want, not "I'll have a wet Martini please"
I used to be a vodka dirty martini very dry, because that was what my parents drank. Over time, we have preferred gin martinis, and only recently when playing with ratios, I've been liking wetter martinis (2 parts gin, 1 part dry vermouth). But I still prefer them dirty, I love olives. I want to try out different stuffed olives in the near future beyond just normal and blue cheese.
Anders, Great work you're doing on your channel Keep it up! Prior to an anniversary dinner at The Mansion here in DFW-ville, I asked the waiter about their martinis: They take a chilled glass, 'rinse' it with tequila, pour in the chilled gin or vodka, and garnish with a jalapeño-stuffed olive. I've been making them for 25+ years. (Bombay Sapphire or Ketal One.) "SKOL!"
One of the interesting things is the notion of dry (and later wet). I've heard so many stories for the origins of "dry" (as opposed to the eventual dry martini which is probably just the evolution of the martini as it went through the years and the necessity to call the original something different). One thing I've heard was "dry" was because of the use of London Dry Gin (which might imply the use of other gins back then for the non "dry" martini). Of course we are using a "dry" vermouth, and as you said this is similar to the Manhattan so that might be the key there as well. Sometimes it's best not to know and let it remain a mystery; one that requires tasting and imagination to solve.
The original martini was made with sweet vermouth as dry vermouth wasn't yet readily available in the states at the time and it was most definitely a riff on the Manhattan. The first "dry martinis" show up in the early 1900s and they are specifically referencing the use of dry vermouth. Normally they're listed right next to a standard martini still calling for sweet vermouth. Eventually a medium martini shows up, and that's a combo of sweet and dry. "Savoy" lists all three for example, though the martini with sweet vermouth is designated as sweet as opposed to just being called a martini. You're also right that London dry was not the original gin, it was the sweeter Old Tom. But the sweet/medium/dry recipes in the 1920-30s all call for dry gin, so it follows that the description comes from the vermouth used. I honestly don't know when dry started to refer to using less vermouth as opposed to dry vermouth, but my guess is that it was a post WWII phenomenon as it doesn't show up in any of the books before that.
When I was young if I used vermouth it was just to rinse out the glass and return the remainder to the bottle. As an old guy I've "discovered" vermouth and now drink drys and sweets by themselves. IF I make a martini it's 3 or 4 to 1. But I still drink straight or pink gin rocks out of laziness. Love your channel. I'll try the dash of orange bitters soon.
I watched your video on the 'perfect martini' a long time ago. That is now my favorite version. While traveling I hit the hotel bar and had a fun convo with the bartender. I asked for a perfect martini, and they stopped, looked at me, looked around for the ingredients "yea I can do that, nice I haven't been asked for one of those in a very long time."
The way I was taught (and this goes back to 2001 before the modern cocktail craze) was to essentially pour a little vermouth into a chilled martini glass, swirl it around the glass and tip it out. Then pour in the stirred/shaken spirit and garnish. Can't say I've experimented with wet martinis but I'll definitely give this recipe a shot.
I do agree a shaken Martini is a different drink, but I see this more crispy (bubbles and chilliness). I do my Martine shaken on a twist because of this, not because I’m generation of Bond, who use olives. But to night I do Anders’s version.
My perfect martini: 3-4 oz of Citadelle Gin (depends on how crap the day was lol) .5oz dry vermouth .5oz Lillet Rose 2 dashes of orange bitters Stir to proper dilution for being served on a rock. I’m clumsy and always make a mess with a martini glass.
Ahh, my go-to Friday afternoon cocktail. Superb. I like to use onions plus olives, aka Gibson/Martini, getting my vegetables in. Stirred is definitely the way to go, I used to get taken in by the 007 propaganda at some point but discovered that stirred is much better. Sometimes though I substitute the Vermouth with Lillet Blanc, that's fun too. Cheers.
I put the ice in a shaker, pour in a bit of vermouth, give it one or two shakes then pour it out so what's left is only what sticks to the ice cubes. In goes the gin shake until the shaker feels really cold, pour into glass. Sometimes I'm in a lemon peel mood, sometimes olives (Manzanilla olives from my back yard cured in brine). And yeah, shaking is fine with me.
I've always found the martini a hard cocktail to drink due to the high ABV, so I kinda avoided it. I was making it the same way as Anders made it, using a dry vermouth, as called by the original recipe. Lately I stumbled upon a video by Cara Devine from Behind The Bar, and she made a Vodka Martini using vodka and a white vermouth plus a few dashes of orange bitters. It was a game changer, as it made the drink to be more on the wetter side. That's maybe not the best way to make it, but it made me change my mind about this drink and it seems like I now finally live in peace with it 😊
I'm shocked no one has mentioned Hawkeye's martini recipe from M*A*S*H: "You pour six jiggers of gin, and you drink it while staring at a picture of Lorenzo Schwartz, the inventor of vermouth."
When I'm teaching a martini, I like to tell our students it's Gin (or Vodka) and Vermouth. It then gives me a chance to explain what vermouth is, how it's made, and how it can add 'sweetness' to a martini. The more vermouth, the sweeter or wetter it is. For martinis... we're using the white, or dry, vermouth. Of course there is now a longer discussion that can be had into sweet vermouth vs. dry and perfect martinis... but we wait a couple days before that when discussing Manhattans. Keep up the great work. We've been following you since your first couple months on RU-vid and love your content. We ask all our students to subscribe to you because of the great content on this channel. Cheers! 🥂
I'm a third way into your video and I just had to pause and let you know how much I enjoy your oratory, your researched knowledge, and overall pleasantness that you bring to the craft.
Very nice job! It's too much vermouth for my taste. I only use 1 splash (about 1/2 oz.) of vermouth for 3 oz. of gin. But, that's subject to individual taste. Sometimes I use a dash of orange bitters but most of the time I don't. Always stirred and poured straight up with olives. (One or three olives, NEVER two!) You did a great job on a great classic!
I use a few drops and half an ounce of dry vermouth to taint the ice. I put ice in a shaker, add the bitters and vermouth, then strain the liquid into the sink. Then, I put 2-3 ounces of gin in the shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled glass. I usually use two to three olives. I like double-stuffed garlic and jalapeño olives. Winston Churchill likes gin. Mine is actually a Martini.
Thanks for this one. The orange bitters were just perfect. And that ratio is great, made a super smooth martini. Not my favorite drink but certain much more palatable now.
The term dry was originally a reference type of vermouth. Wet martini mixed with sweet (Italian vermouth). A perfect martini is a fifty fifty mix of sweet and dry (French) vermouth. A dry martini uses dry vermouth. So the dry versus sweet still describes the balance.
Nice vid! I am surprised you didn’t mention the Gibson after it got attention from Queens Gambit. I’d like my martinis a little dirty, so I use 3 barspoons of Castlevetrano olive brine and one of cocktail onion brine for a kind of hybrid, and garnish with one onion and two olives. Just got a bottle of the same gin you used and loved it. I prefer Noilly Prat over Dolin btw.
