World Martini Day falls on the third Saturday in June each year and around the world martini lovers sip on this classic cocktail.
It’s no secret what a martini is but in the simplest sense, it’s a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive or lemon twist. A common variation uses vodka instead of gin as the cocktail’s base spirit.
Origin story
The exact origin of the martini is unclear. The name may derive from the Italian Martini brand of vermouth, or another popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez served sometime in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Fransisco.
Alternatively, residents of Martinez say a bartender in their town created the drink, while another source indicates that the drink was named after the town.
Other theories suggest author Harry Johnson thought up the recipe for the martini which was included the second printed edition of the Bartender Manual, printed in 1888. And finally, some time around 1910, a bartender at the the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York served the Martini di Taggia, which is something close to a Dry Martini.
The Martini decoded
From dirty to dry, shaken to gibson, here’s your cheat sheet to martini terminology.
Martini basics
Classic: Traditionally made with gin and dry vermouth, garnished with an olive or lemon twist.
Vodka: Substitutes gin for vodka — famously preferred by James Bond.
Wet, dry, extra dry
This refers to how much vermouth goes into the mix.
Wet: More vermouth than usual (e.g. a 2:1 ratio of gin to vermouth).
Dry: Less vermouth, often around a 6:1 or 8:1 ratio.
Extra Dry: Very little vermouth — sometimes just a rinse or even just waved over the glass.
Dirty, filthy, clean
These terms add a briny twist.
Dirty: Includes a splash of olive brine (the juice from the olive jar).
Filthy: Extra olive brine — bold and savoury.
Clean: No olive brine, served with a twist instead of olives.
Shaken, stirred and naked
Shaken: Shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker. Produces a colder, slightly more diluted drink with a cloudy appearance.
Stirred: The classic method. Stirred gently with ice for clarity and a silkier texture.
Naked: Prepared by storing gin in the freezer, then pouring it directly into a serving glass with the vermouth instead of stirring it with ice first.
Garnishes
With a twist: Garnished with a twist of lemon peel (usually no olives).
Olive: The traditional garnish, often one or three (never two!).
Gibson: Garnished with a pickled cocktail onion instead of an olive or twist.
Temperature and presentation
Up: Chilled and served in a stemmed martini or coupe glass, with no ice.
On the rocks: Served over ice, typically in a short tumbler.
Bone dry / Churchill: So little vermouth, it’s joked that you only “look at the vermouth bottle from across the room”.
Variations
Vesper martini: Made from gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc (a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc with fruit liqueurs).
50/50 martini: Made using equal parts gin and dry vermouth.
Perfect martini: Made using equal parts dry and sweet vermouth, rather than just dry vermouth like in a traditional martini.
Some of our favourite martini spirits…
The Reid Single Malt Vodka
Made from three carefully selected ingredients: pristine alpine water from Mount Cardrona, barley from the rich Canterbury plains and distiller’s yeast, The Reid Single Malt Vodka is decadently rich with notes of pear drops, lemon, toffee and malt biscuits.
ABV 44%
RRP $125.00
www.thereid.co.nz
Sandy Mount Distillery Green Marker Dry Vermouth
Constructed using Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc and a selection of 14 hand-picked botanicals from the grounds of Sandymount Distillery, this vermouth presents floral and fragrant citrus fruits, bitter wormwood and jasmine.
ABV 18%
RRP $55.00
sandymount.nz
Juno Extra Fine Gin
Well-balanced initial tastes of refreshing juniper with lingering citrus and peppery notes, all built on a generous base of local and exotic botanicals.
ABV 40%
RRP $109.99
www.junogin.com
Classic Dry Martini Recipe
Ingredients:
60 ml gin (or vodka, if preferred)
10 ml dry vermouth (adjust to taste)
Ice
Garnish: Lemon twist or green olive
Method:
Chill your glass — place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer or fill it with ice water while you prepare.
In a mixing glass, add the gin and dry vermouth.
Add plenty of ice and stir gently for about 30 seconds to chill and dilute slightly.
Strain into your chilled glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist (express the oils over the drink and drop it in) or a green olive on a pick.
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