Making an Award-Winning Martini (Shaken Is a Lie!) 

I love how Jason brings up Vermouth and Brian totally forgets the anecdote by the time they do the absinthe episode years later.

I used this recipe at work and the man who purchased the martini said it was the best he ever had! Thanks again for all the wisdom you share with us Modern Rogue!!!

I liked the martini recipe from Kingsman: The secret service where Eggsy asks for one "With gin of course. Stirred for 10 seconds while glancing at an unopened bottle of vermouth"

What I like to do is open a new bottle of vermouth, fill the glass up, then keep pouring, letting the rest of the bottle spill over the sides onto the floor. Then I discard the contents of the glass, leaving a light coating.

aren't they really just drinking chilled gin? Would I have the same drink if I just put my gin in the freezer and drank it neat in a fancy glass?

It has been argued that James Bond asking for it shaken is to water it down deliberately so he gets less drunk when he's supposed to be working. You can find plenty of videos on RU-vid of how uncoordinated people get, specifically with guns, when they are also drunk, something a smart Bond wouldn't want.

Trevor is sassy as fuck lol

Alton Brown had this same recipe on Good Eats and he got in a fight with Bond over it.

Does that dude seriously just dump that shit on the floor every time?

These cocktail segments of TMR may be my favorite. So classy!

These guys are well intentioned but off base. A shaken martini does indeed get slightly diluted. This is intentional and not a bad thing. A slight dilution tends to take just a bit of the bite out of a single spirit cocktail and opens up the flavor profile. Many whiskies and bourbons are actually tasted and enjoyed with a cap of water or a single cube, just for this reason. An Old Fashioned ( a single spirit cocktail like the martini) is traditionally stirred with ice for a lengthy period of time in order to promote dilution which helps creates more smooth tasting cocktail.

4 to 1 ratio? are u kidding me. that is more like 40 to 1 ratio.

I first started to get involved in magic, and love magic with scam school. Since then i have been inspired and bought a bunch of books on sleight of hand magic. I love learning and teaching myself magic. I am also looking to learn fire eating, as it is another great trick and act, even though i bough brains great fire eating book i am scared to try anything without an instructor. Now that the modern rogue is here and they started showing these videos how to make cocktails i am again inspired and am looking to learn bartending. These channels are great and have really inspired me to get involved with some of my favorite and most creative hobbies.

so its straight gin, chilled, with a dash of vermouth? and then with two olives thrown in?

The version I heard is that while stationed in eastern Europe Ian Fleming accidently drank "gin" made from cheap vodka flavored with a pine-scented cleaning solution when he made the mistake of ordering a Martini at a quasi-legal drinking establishment. Quite simply, in Stalin's countries they simply couldn't afford real gin so they created toxic stand-ins for foolhardy tourists and ill-informed spies by "flavoring" the local vodka with any and all sorts of polishes, cleaning solutions and who knows what. After getting violently ill and complaining of the worst hangover he had ever expereinced to a fellow agent, Mr Fleming was instructed not to ever order gin while in eastern europe and to instead just imbibe whatever vodka the locals were drinking since that is all he would receive anyway with additional potentially toxic ingedients just meant to deceive. Additionally-Shaking gin is bad for the flavors but does nothing to harm vodka. Supposedly, if cleaning fluids or certain poisonous compounds are added for flavor or to assassinate an erstwhile agent, the drink allegedly foams up due to the detergent and/or becomes cloudy--sometimes with little drops of pine oil present on the surface. "Pure" vodka and even the most suspect "vermouth" will not behave this way so it suppoesedly reduced one's chanceof death by poisoning-whether accidental or on purpose. Once he retired to the bahamas and a life of writing novels, Mr Fleming simply found he had gotten used to the plainer taste of a vodka martini instead of the now readily-available certified bona-fide gin versions he had consumed in his youth. There are also overtones that "vodka martini, shaken, not stirred" would indicate to other espionage agents that the speaker had spent time behind the iron curtain and was not to be trifled with.

Bond didn't lie, he wanted a watered down drink, he is almost always on duty and can't let booze affect him too much.

Great vid. A couple of comments, as this is a subject near and dear to my heart, as a drinker of martinis for many decades. You want some dilution, as well as chilling, from the ice, as it makes the drink more enjoyable for most people. One doesn't not shake a martini because of excess dilution; it is actually avoided because it entrains air in the booze, which affects the flavor and texture to a small degree, but more importantly, clouds the drink. Since I don't like leaving mixology to chance, I actually mix my ingredients and add a precise amount of distilled water, then put it in the freezer to chill, so my dilution is to my liking, and always exactly the same. Plus, it chills the drink to a lower temperature (in fact, you've got to be careful doing this, as the extremely cold liquor can damage your mouth and throat). The classic martini ratio range from the thirties-forties was actually 3:1 - 4:1. Today, people want them dryer, mostly because they don't like the taste of vermouth. Oh, and one other point, a real martini is garnished with an olive. Other garnishes make it a different cocktail; for example, that pour with an onion(s) is technically a Gibson, not a martini... Keep up the good work!

You've got to be kidding....that's only Gin!!

When are these recipes going to be compiled into a book that I can buy? Let me give you my money!!!!!!

actually stirring gets more dilution, shaking doesn't make it more watery, it makes it cloudy and adds air, something you dont want to do when there is no citrus juice or egg white so the gin doesn't lose its delicacy. The reason why bond a;ways had his martinis shaken is because the original drink he had in the first ever bond book, casino royal, was the vesper martini which was created by Ian Flemming and his bartender friend and they shook it. So in the book he said shake it, dont stir it, and the line was catchy and thus his signature line was born for every movie to come....

No “award winning martini” would ever use Martini Vermouth, stored at room temperature. Have a word with yourself.

After watching a marathon of you guys making drinks, I had just wondered about the shaken not stirred thing.

If all you're doing is coating the glass with Vermouth, why not get an atomizer and put the Vermouth in there? Just spray the glass before pouring your drink.

Can this guy be a regular... He's hilarious.

the chilled glass is warm by the damn time he makes the drink

"I have no love for the idea that a dry martini is a glass of gin with like, a drop of vermouth in it. That, in my book, isn't a cocktail." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-e2eP-44d2sw.html I have to agree w/ @How2Drink here. Setting up the video by talking about a "balanced drink" and then just stirring some gin w/ ice? No bitters? Just a vermouth wash on the glass? Um, no. That's just stirred gin, it's not a martini.

Just made a martini with this recipe, and it was delightful. Thanks Trevor, and thanks Rogues for the excellent tips!

All of these cocktail tutorials are my favorites! I can't wait until I have the opportunity to try all these!

I have tried this....and it's just gin, but I am not crazy for the traditional recipe either. I like the tree olive recipe, 3 olives and a 3 to 1 gin to vermouth.

its like thous segments in bar rescue drink segment but better. more well showed

It's not movie James Bonds fault he sounds like a fool, but the fact they changed his drink. He drinks a Vesper instead of a martini in the books, and that should be shaken. That would be a cool drink to learn how to make.

Swap the olives for pearl onions and you got yourself a Gibson.

I have been drinking martinis for about 20 years, if drinking at a bar always make sure to be specific about what type of vodka or gin you want because if not they will give you a cheap vodka or gin.

I'm sorry but did i miss something? Brian says the usual recipe is 2:1, Jason says, we're gonna make a better version that is 4:1. End result, makes a 2:1 because the glass isn't big enough. Please tell me i missed something.

3:1 is the proper ratio. Considering 1.5 oz is the standard shot, so a “double shot” or 3 ounces or “a martini pour”, should be the maximum amount of booze that a bartender should put in a drink. I do 3 oz of spirit and 1/4-1/2 oz of vermouth.

I don't even drink but these are still fun to watch.

Vodka martini - with lemon rind, no olives. line the glass with vermouth (chill the glass, splash and swirl the vermouth per Trevor's approach). and SHAKE the lemon rind with ice and vodka. pulls the lemon into the vodka. Strain and drink with a fresh lemon rind.

In Fleming's novel Casino Royale, it is stated that Bond "watched as the deep glass became frosted with the pale golden drink, slightly aerated by the bruising of the shaker,". Perhaps Bond prefers his gin bruised? He has accepted it both ways in different films and it may be a mood thing. The main reason people associate Bond with shaken, is because that is the line from the more popular films. In you only live twice stirred, not shaken is "perfect" according to Bond. The line is also often uttered by other people getting Bond a drink. Free martini is free martini, why correct them? You may wind up buying your own. It may also depend on which ingredients are being used.

I like it 3-1 with a dash of orange bitters and a lemon twist

I love this segment? Episodes? When they go to that bar for the MR! I'm an aspiring bar manager, i'd love to be as knowledgeable as Trevor!

Brian's incredulity at the end as to the simplicity of a martini is understandable. Much less so is how many bars f**k it up.

The point of stirring in ice literally is to chill AND dilute. If you don't want dilution put your bottle in the freezer, but the it's not a cocktail.

You don't need a full 30ml/1oz of vermouth to do a rinse. A bar spoon or so is enough. Use a proper mixing glass and a julep strainer. Not a shaker tin, looks ghetto. You don't garnish a normal (aka gin) martini with olives. Traditionally it's lemon peel (which should be rubbed along the stem of the glass as well as the rim). A dirty martini (using vodka and olive brine) is garnished with olives.

A great recipe and the right stuff 2 party in style. Thanks 4 the tip on heavy fuel fill ups.

I find this segment a little dramatic.I studied the bartenders national certification course years ago. We spent 2 whole days making martinis believe or not. While I don't disagree with much they are presenting here, I do question how many people drink a gin martini anymore? The Vodka explosion over the past 10 -15 years has been incredible. The best martini "dirty" I ever learned how to make was from "Big Al" from Chicago. He could serve a whole bar 3 deep in record time with precision drinks. Ketel One Dirty Martini : Rocks glass filled with ice (large cubes), Shaker cup, fair amount of ice. 3 oz Ketel One Vodka, a large splash of quality olive juice. Then, shaken well, Al believed in shaking to" bruise" the Vodka as well as give a slight dilution. Now here is the secret : Throw out the ice in the rocks glass plus any water that has accumulated. Add new ice to the rocks glass, pour shaken vodka /olive juice over the rocks. This is the best Dirty Martini you will ever have. The vodka has had a proper dilution with water however poured over a chilled rocks glass with ice in it keeps it nicely chilled thru out the drinking experience.

Also they left out when you shake a martini it clouds the drinks when stirred it keeps it clear as water as it's supposed to

I'm pretty fond of a splash of scotch (something on the smokier side) and very slightly dirty (a couple extra drops of brine) into an otherwise similar liquor blend. I have to be careful ordering out, though, since many bartenders hear dirty and assume you want half a glass of olive brine because you hate liquor but want to appear fancy.

Why would you need to stir straight gin, if your not combining any ingredients?

Thing is... if I order a Martini Shaken not stirred (because I like it), is it really up to the Bartender to decide no its better the other way?

So you take British bum liquor and Italian hobo wine, and you pour it over Mediterranean tree balls, and what do you get? A drink for SOPHISTICATED AMERICANS. (not my line, apologies to Mr Regular)

4 to 1 definitely the right ratio...I do like one briefly shaken though. Sorrry fellas

When I started drinking Martinis I'd heard all the stuff about using homeopathic quantities of vermouth, and how shaking was a Bond thing that true aficionados derided because it waters things down. That olives should be in odd numbers...or completely absent in favour of a lemon twist. And that's how I ordered them - I wanted to drink a good Martini, and to look like I knew what that meant. Then I read about old Martinis being 2:1, with "dry" referring to the type - not the minimal quantity - of vermouth. And how shaking can result in little fragments of ice cracking off into the drink, giving a crisp 'zing'. And the olive superstition was, frankly, always bollocks. So I mixed Tanqueray and Noilly Prat 2:1, shook it, strained it, garnished with four stuffed olives. Shaking creates a crystal crispness I can't replicate with stirring. 2:1 balances the flavours so I'm not only drinking gin. It shouldn't be weird to want to taste all the ingredients in the drink! And olives with gin are a delicious pairing, so four gives me more of them to enjoy. Sometimes it'll have a dash or two of orange bitters, sometimes not. Plymouth and Dolin takes that better though, I think. And that - for me - is better than any of the things I'm 'supposed' to drink...but then it's my drink, so 'supposed' is cordially invited to fuck off.

OK, question here guys, what olives exatly to use? With paprika or without? How about some nice quality ones or doesn't matter how much they cost? I'd go with one that had core in and I'd remove it before serving on pick.

"POUR OUT THE VERMOUTH an act of libation" Hahahahahah; fucking excellent.

This channel Modern Rogue is relevant to my interests. I wondered if you had a newsletter to which I could enroll when my attention fell upon the subscribe button, at which time I duly clicked. Verily.

Very cool video, thanks guys

I like it shaken. And further watered down with olive brine. Up to me.

"I don't clean the floors" *dumps glass*

If the Vermouth is getting poured out, the ratio is pretty well shot to hell. What I like is a wet Gin Martini with a dash of bitters and a twist. Done. Make sure the vermouth is fresh.

Lovely Gin with olives!

I just now noticed it said “ an act of libation” under pouring the vermouth out. What deity are you sacrificing to? Bacchus/Dionysus?

Respectfully, swirling the vermouth and then dumping it, is both a waste and not nearly enough vermouth to achieve balance. The martini is supposed to have a two to one ratio of gin to vermouth with some recipes calling for even 1:1.

I effing love this drink. Vesper to date is my favorite martini.

eight to one works for me

2:04 criminally underrated burn

Chilled glass + stirred spirit = award winning. OMFG this is bar basics 101 lmao. I’m so impressed. Amazing! You guys rock. Woah!

No orange bitters?

4 oz of gin? are you trying to kill me?

the reason bond had it shaken not stirred is so it would water down and he could give the impression of being intoxicated without being drunk.

Shaken VODKA martini that tends to highlight the flavor of the VERMOUTH... is the Bond cocktail. Good vermouth. With a lemon twist. Different drink.

In the books bond asked for his vesper to be shaken. He says the recipe in casino Royale and it has just a shit ton of alcohol in it. It seems he enjoys his drink made strong then diluted. The martini was only adapted for the films

Approve of everything, except the Bombay Sapphire, the popularity of which is beyond my understanding.

That version is kind of bullshit. I don't care if it won an award. It's hardly a cocktail if it's pretty much just a single spirit.

Ooo my friend maybe what u said is the best but shaken is the way he like it so...

Oh shit i was making this along with the video and now my floor has alcohol everywhere. LOL

Why did he use soda water on ice to chill the glass instead of regular water? Does it add anything special to the drink?

I thought I read in the original book with 007 he ordered it stirred...not shaken.

I really like Martini it tastes so good.. I need a cocktail glass

Will there be a "understanding absinthe" episode?

ive always done them stirred, glad to know that I've been making them almost correctly. though i didn't know about the swirl in the glass

Not true! The same amount of water melts for the same amount of cooling in the same amount of time. It's the physics of energy transfer. If you melt more ice in the same time - the drink gets cooler. If you melt the same amount of ice in less time - the drink gets cooler (less time for heat to enter the drink from the outside). You shake drinks rather than stir them simply because shaking is faster to cool the drink than stirring (and faster = less dilution for the same amount of cooling, but more importantly faster = more time to make money!). You go to the trouble of stirring the drink for LESS AGITATION. That gives you a clearer (more transparent) drink, and that is only worth it if you are using clear ingredients - like in the Martini. (Or you want to avoid foaming, like using pineapple juice.) People who don't like Gin, ask for Vodka Martinis - and those same people usually don't like Vermouth, so you use little or no vermouth for people who ask for vodka marinis. A person who asks for "A vodka martini, shaken not stirred." Is saying "Give me a shot of pure booze, I want it really cold so I can drink it fast, and I don't give a hoot what it looks like." It's the order of a hard drinker - which is what James Bond was supposed to be (written in the 50's when hard drinker = hard man).

Is this recipe 4-1 also goes with vodka also? Can someone clarify?

I went to a martini bar and had one martini. Tasted like pure liquor. I thought the guy didn't know what he was doing. I guess he did.

Imagine making a jack and coke this complicated then getting an award for it.

Bartender here. You don't stir a martini because of dilution. You stir a martini to maintain a smooth mouthfeel/texture and because of the ingredients used (in this case not used, citrus, egg, etc). Also chilling a glass with water is counter intuitive to what the bartender is preaching, which is over-dilution. Finally, he measures "2oz"which is right to the top of the jigger, when it bubbles. He measured 1.5oz. I'm writing this comment for potential bartenders watching this to learn. Cheers!

im going to austin for my 21st birthday i hope i get to meet brian

As a bartender, they seem to care more about their hair than the drinks. Going to call foul and bogus.

"If you learn this recipe, you will never look like a chump making a martini for the rest of your life." "Correct!" *Proceeds to make martini by dumping a bunch of shit on the floor on purpose*

If the ice doesn’t melt the gin won’t get cold...basic physics. So if you want a cold drink, using ice, you’re going to have water in the mixture.

4 oz pour, yes please

Tried making this at a party, I totally failed haha but I will attempt again.

I always answer shake and stir😂

Why do you waste vermouth? Use it to aromatize the glass then use to make the martini cocktail! It's a stupid waste!

Why not just dump ice to chill the glass into the shaker

It's not true that the drink is more flavourfull if it's stirred, the shake "wake up" the aroma of the gin and makes it tastier and more fragrant. Plus, it's better with a twist.

I fucking love bombay saphire

For heavens sake people. James had his Martini shaken on purpose, so it would be more diluted he wasn't doing it wrong, for a spy, he was doing it right

I passed out on the sidewalk yesterday with a shot glass in my hand I don't remember what hadden have you guys ever happen to you?

sounds yummy.

Come on, you drink your martini like any cocktails : the way you want Plus, if you wanted to be so strict, you would have topped it with a lemon twist and not olives since it's not a dirty martini (last point : Couldn't you just spray the vermouth ? You wasted it)