Recipe: Classic Dry Martini
It was the martini that led me into the foray of cocktails. For the best part of my adult life the dry martini was the only cocktail in existence. I didn’t look at cocktail menus, I just ordered. Since then I may have adventured but my staple never changed.
I take mine classic dry with just a whisper of vermouth and a green olive or two or three.
“Always stirred, never shaken.”
Despite it’s simplicity, a good martini is not a given. I’ve had some horrors served to me in my time.
The Rules:
- Stemmed cocktail glassware. The standard martini glass will do, but in my opinion such a delightfully feminine and sophisticated drink deserves something more delicate and vintage.
- The glass must be chilled. Fill with ice and stand in the freezer or fridge for as long as it takes for you to mix the drink.
- Always stirred, never shaken. The rule applies to all straight-up cocktails. Shaking over-dilutes.
- Icy-cold. Stirred until the mixing glass condensates.
- Double strained. This prevents ice shards escaping through the hawthorn strainer.
- Quality green olives – firm and whole, threaded onto cocktail pick. The olive should not come apart when you poke it with the pick and the subtle flavour of the olive juices and oils should seep through the drink.
- French dry vermouth.
- Super-premium London dry gin.
Ingredients
- 60 ml Melbourne Gin Company Dry Gin
- 15 ml Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth
- Green olive x2
Method
Pour gin and vermouth into mixing glass. Add ice cubes. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Thread olives onto cocktail pick and place in the drink.
