The Martini! The illustrious Martini. It has a glamorous allure few cocktails can match. It achieves its special brand of alchemy by balancing the sharpness of juniper berries in excellent gin, with the earthy herbal qualities of good vermouth.
The ratios are very important– and much discussed. Though Steve Allen may have famously quipped, ‘Do not allow children to mix drinks, it is unseemly and they always use too much vermouth’. In truth, there is some room for personal preference regarding the exact balance of gin to vermouth.
Perfect Martinis
Lately, the style has been to make Martinis a bit too dry in my opinion. Many great mixologists recommend swirling the vermouth in the shaker, then discarding it. I personally disagree with this method. A classic Martini has 1/2‑ounce vermouth to 2 ounces of gin; a dry martini should have about 1/4‑ounce vermouth.
And speaking of shakers, despite what James Bond may have said, a true Martini is never shaken. It is always stirred. A shaken Martini is properly called a Bradford. I have another great quote that I believe puts the shaken or stirred question to rest. It comes from W. Somerset Maugham. He said, ‘Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of each other’. I sensuously agree!
Still, the origins of the Martini are a bit shaky (chuckle chuckle). I have read that the drink was invented by the British in the late 1800s and was named after the Martini-Henry rifle. The type favored by the royal army. A more enduring theory states that the libation was created at New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel about 1910, by a bartender with the rather flamboyant name of Martini di Arma di Traggi. It is also said that it was his regular customers that changed the garnish from lemon to olive.
In truth, the truth may never be known. Perhaps this adds to this cocktail’s allure. However, a bit of research into old cocktails books does tell us one thing for sure. The original ratio was equal parts London dry gin and Noilly Prat dry French vermouth with a dash orange bitters.
Lastly, the ingredients must be icy cold. Ideally, the gin, vermouth, the glasses for stirring and serving should be kept in the freezer. Use cracked ice, not cubes and never ever use crushed ice. The mixture should be stirred for a fairly long time. You will know when it’s ready to be strained because the mixing glass (ideally metallic) will turn frosty.
Sippity Sup’s Current Favorite Perfect Martinis
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1‑ounce dry vermouth
- Dash of orange bitters
- Green olive as garnish
Original Martini
- 1 1/2 ounce gin
- 1 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- Dash of orange bitter
- Lemon twist as garnish
Classic Martini
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- Lemon twist or green olive as garnish
Dry Martini
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/4 ounce dry vermouth
- Lemon twist as garnish
Extra Dry Martini
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/2 teaspoon dry vermouth
- Lemon twist as garnish
“Perfect” Martini (this is its name not a declaration from me)
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/2‑ounce sweet vermouth
- Orange slice as garnish
Dirty Martini
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/2‑ounce brine from cocktail olives
- Green olive as garnish
Naked Martini
- 3‑ounce gin
- Lemon twist or green olive as garnish
Knickerbocker
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1‑ounce dry vermouth
- 1/2‑ounce sweet vermouth
- Dash of orange bitters
- Lemon twist as garnish
Smoky Martini
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/4‑ounce single-malt scotch
- 1/2 teaspoon dry vermouth
- Lemon twist as garnish
Gibson
- 2‑ounce gin
- 1/4 teaspoon dry vermouth
- Cocktail onion as garnish
Perfect Martinis
I just replaced the guts of my aging, but otherwise lovely, Weber gas grill yesterday. New burner tubes, igniters and manifold. This is the dish with which I will inaugurate its rebirth! Very nice! — S
Recently attended a media dinner for The Taste of Greece and one of the dishes was grilled lamb chops — affectionately called “lollipops”. Delicious! We’ll be going to the lake soon and I think I’ll grill a batch of lamb chops with your mint sauce to take out on the boat. Thanks!
Okay, what do I have to do to get invited to one of YOUR picnics??? Absolutely divine!
I love lamb and I like your version of mint sauce–both go so well together.
I knew as soon as I looked at Today’s Top 9 that the lamb picture was yours! Congrats! Well-deserved.
Now this is what I call good picnic food! Springtime and early summer (before the heat comes) are my favorite times for picnics, whether at the local park or in our own backyard, under our huge cottonwood tree. Either way, food just tastes so much better when enjoyed in the great outdoors.
You make me want to pack up my picnic basket (that is hidden away in a closet and probably covered in dust) and rush right outside and have a picnic! I have forgotten how much fun they can be. We all have such hectic lives and don’t take the time to enjoy something as simple as a picnic.
Now of course, I am thinking upscale picnic food (like you are) and these would be perfect with a few more great dishes and a nice bottle of wine!
I make my leg of lamb with the same herbs…wish I could find chops that look like that, nothing down here like that even at the butcher they are making my mouth water!~
I also grew up spending most of my time picnicking outside on a blanket in the backyard. Now we picnic in the vineyards outside of Nantes but certainly not often enough. Your lambchops look fabulously delicious and the makings of quite an elegant picnic!
Lamb has not graced my Egg yet. A gorgeous dish like this tells me I must change that.
No plate needed when we can munch these like lollipops. Love the idea of a picnic, but I prefer the picnic table to the blanket. So dang hard to get up from the ground.…..these are very elegant outdoor grilled chops.xxoo
I’m planning on making lamb with a mint dipping sauce this weekend. Mint is kind of taking over the backyard so it might be more for survival than a nostalgia for sharing my food with ants and mosquitos. 😉
I eat a lot outdoors but it’s in the mountains while hiking, rarely on a “picnic.” For some reason, I’d feel a little eery carrying these chops on my back with bears off in the distance.
Rosemary is nice with mint and lamb chops too. Great bite!
Oh my mouth is watering! I love a good lamb chop
Grown up finger food, that’s what this is. There are definitely not enough picnics in my life, either now or when I was younger. A situation that definitely needs to be ameliorated.
I love lamb, not really the sweet cloying mint sauces. But this savory one. Delicious.
I would to have this dish at a picnic! I particularly like the malt vinegar in your delicious savory mint sauce!
Do I hear a picnic in our future at the Hollywood Bowl? What about that parking space you promised me? : )
BTW: Not a lamb fan but that pic is really making me hungry!
Except that it is usually a large gathering of family or friends, picnics don’t particularly ring my bell especially if you have to sit on blanket and swat bugs! But I can definitely wrap my mind around outdoor dining, especially if I’m sitting at a table being served lamb chops with mint sauce that haven’t been schlepped miles — and the wine wasn’t too far away.
I usually end up just bring sandwiches to a picnic. I guess I could jazz it up with some chops. I need to get me a little baby grill first. 🙂
I do so miss the picnics of my childhood also! I used to have big garden parties in our previous home, life’s too busy now days. I think a picnic on the veranda is in my very near future! The lamb looks delicious and I love the reworked mint sauce, I never understood the appeal of mint jelly!