Vodka Martini

No other drink captures the classic cocktail hour, when the short arm strikes six….or indeed five if you’ve had a really dreadful day, more magnificently.

Staggeringly simple yet deceptively difficult to master, the Martini is unashamedly brazen in its booziness, transparent in both appearance and intention; clean-lined yet complex, a v-shaped salute to the tribulations, trudge and tyranny of modern life – and rightly considered as the king of the classic cocktails.

Steeped in a colourful history, the memoirs of the Martini are, as ever, the topic of much contention among cocktail historians. Some contend the cocktail’s beginnings date back to the Martinez during the goldrush in the 19^th Century while others claim the forefather to the Martini was the Marguerite – first mentioned in 1900.

It concisely and cold-bloodedly unveils the true character of a gin, or indeed vodka, – gently laying botanicals bare and ruthlessly revealing the spirit’s flavour and, indeed, flaws.

The Martini may have had more twists than a Chubby Checker tribute night but in its most classic configuration, the key is to capture the conversation between the gin and the vermouth while simultaneously striking the right balance between dilution and temperature.

Keep it cold. As cold as possible. The shaker, the gin, the vermouth and the glasses. Everything. Freshness, as ever, is fundamental. As American essayist Bernard DeVoto contests in his book “The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto” – “You can no more keep a Martini in the refrigerator than you can keep a kiss”.

In this current era of ‘mindful drinking’, it is worth noting that DeVoto warns against making Martinis too strong – drinking one should give you the belief that “at any moment we may see the unicorn. But it would not be a Martini if we should see him”.

Classic Martini

Glass: Martini

60ml Vodka

7.5ml dry vermouth

Ice cubes

Olive or lemon zest twist

Method: Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon zest twist