Even if you don’t know anything about alcohol, you’ve at least laid eyes on a classic martini. Maybe it was at a bar, in a James Bond movie, or at your old aunt Edith’s house. Either way, you’ve seen this clear cocktail neatly propped up in a martini-style glass. Usually adorned with an olive or two. It honestly might be the most recognizable cocktail in the history of mixed drinks. We dare you to find a more well-known mixed drink image. Go ahead, we’ll wait. You didn’t find one, did you?
But if you’re new to alcohol (or a teetotaler) you might not know exactly what a martini consists of and that’s totally okay. We’re always here to help broaden your drinking palate. Technically, a martini is a cocktail (you probably knew that) that is made up of gin and vermouth and garnished with an olive or slice of lemon. That’s the condensed, extremely easy-to-remember definition. But like with any cocktail, there’s a lot more to it than that.
Gin or vodka?
First of all, while the “traditional” martini is made with gin and (usually dry) vermouth, many drinkers expect vodka to be in their drink when they order one at a bar (referred to as a vodka martini). Also, before we continue you should know that (spirits aside) there are two different styles: the dry martini and the dirty martini.
A dry martini is made with very little vermouth and is ostensibly a cocktail that’s mostly just vodka or gin. So, if your idea of a good night is simply drinking a glass of vodka or gin, this is the drink for you. But if you love those spirits that much, just pour them into your glass with an ice cube or two and be on your way.
Continuing (for those of you who actually still want to sip on a cocktail), the dirty martini, on the other hand, gets its name because of its cloudy nature due to the addition of a few splashes (or a dousing) of olive juice brine. This adds new salty, briny flavors to your drink. These two styles are extremely different and the ratio you use is completely up to you. This is yet another reason why the martini is a great drink. It might be the most adaptable drink ever created.
Shaken or stirred?
Now we’ve reached the age-old debate on whether the drink should be shaken or stirred. We can thank James Bond for this (or be angered by his creator Ian Fleming), but any good bartender will tell you that the drink shouldn’t actually be shaken.
Stirring a martini allows the gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth to meld together in perfect harmony like the cocktail version of Boyz II Men. Shaking the drink mixes the ingredients, but it also dilutes everything and adds bubbles and air into the mix, not only making it cloudy but watering everything down and removing flavor. This is like trying to make music using your garbage disposal as the main instrument.
While there seem to be countless variations on this drink, below we’re going to highlight just five while giving a simple recipe for each. They are the classic gin martini, the classic vodka martini, the dry martini, the dirty martini, and all the 50/50. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll try our best. Keep scrolling to check them all out.
Classic Gin Martini
As we mentioned, the traditional martini is a gin martini. It’s not dry and it’s not dirty. If you go to a cocktail bar and simply ask for a martini, chances are this is what you’re going to get. The first (and obviously the most important ingredient) is gin. We prefer to keep it traditional and use London dry gins like Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire,, Tanqueray, and the like. But nobody is going to tell you how to make your martini and if you have an artisanal brand you enjoy, go ahead and use it. We’re talking Henrick’s (if you’re a fan of cucumbers and rose that is), Barr Hill (for honey fans), and Aviation (if you’re simply a fan of Ryan Reynolds). To help you out, we’ve included a simple recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 ounces of your go-to go gin
- 5 ounces of dry vermouth
- Ice (unless you prefer a weirdly warm drink)
- Garnish with a single olive
Directions: Add all the ingredients (except the garnish) to an ice-filled mixing glass. Mix everything together with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a martini glass (also known as a cocktail glass). Garnish with an olive and enjoy.
Classic Vodka Martini
The classic vodka martini isn’t all that different from the gin version. In fact, in some circles, it might be more popular. This is because, due to its juniper and various botanicals, gin can be a little bold (to put it nicely) for some drinkers’ palates. The vodka version of the iconic drink is much more mellow and tame as many drinkers can’t pick up much flavor from the vodka itself. This version relies on the other ingredients to shine. Vodka martinis allow dry vermouth and a citrus (usually lemon) to take center stage. Simply pair your favorite vodka (Ketel One, Russian Standard, Absolut, and Belvedere are great choices) with dry vermouth and add a lemon twist. We’ve included an easy-to-assemble recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 ounces of your go-to go vodka
- .5 ounces of dry vermouth
- Ice
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Directions: Add all the ingredients (except the garnish) to an ice-filled mixing glass. Mix everything together with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.
Dry Martini
Before you begin preparing your dry martini, decide whether you want it to feature vodka or gin. The term dry is a reference to the amount of vermouth included. Usually, a dry martini has a splash or two of dry vermouth while letting the gin or vodka shine through the most. There’s also an “extra dry” martini for people who literally just want to drink vodka or gin. If you order this version, just know that the bartender will likely only add a few drops of vermouth before mixing it up. Below, you’ll find a simple recipe to create your own dry martini.
Make it With: The Botanist, Hendricks, Barr Hill
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces of your go-to gin or vodka
- .25 ounces of dry vermouth (or more or less depending on your palate)
- Ice (unless you enjoy your drinks room temperature)
- Garnish with an olive or lemon twist
Directions: Add all the ingredients (except the garnish) to an ice-filled mixing glass. Mix everything together with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.
Dirty Martini
Things are about to get a little dirty up in here because we’ve worked our way to the hazy, cloudy, dirty martini. While there are different stories about its genesis, it’s believed that the dirty martini was invented in 1901 in New York City by a bartender named John O’Connor when he decided to add olive brine to the iconic drink. If you didn’t guess it already, the dirty part is the addition of actual olive brine in the recipe. This adds an extra flavor dimension to the drink. Instead of simply tasting vodka or gin and vermouth, the olive juice adds a briny, salty, saline flavor to the drink. Below you’ll find a simple recipe to make yourself a dirty martini at home.
Vermouths We Recommend: Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth, Tribuno Dry Vermouth
Ingredients:
- 2.5 ounces of your go-to vodka or gin
- .5 ounces of dry vermouth
- .5 ounces of olive juice (or more if you prefer it really dirty)
- Ice (for obvious reasons)
- Garnish with an olive or two
Directions: Add all the ingredients (except the garnish) to an ice-filled mixing glass. Mix everything together with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.
50/50 Martini
We’ve finally found our way to (in our opinion) the most interesting version of all. The drink gets its name from (you guessed) it being made up of 50 percent vodka or gin and 50 percent dry vermouth. This is a great drink for fans of vermouth as it’s the version that really lets it shine through. The half and half combination makes this version the least dry of all the versions we’ve listed as well as the lowest in alcohol (less high proof spirit means less alcohol overall). This means you can drink more martinis. What could be better than that? If that sounds good to you, here’s an easy-to-follow recipe.
Vermouths We Recommend: Dolin Dry Vermouth, Ransom Dry Vermouth
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces gin or vodka
- 1.5 ounces dry vermouth
- Ice (to keep it cool)
- Garnish with a lemon twist or a few olives
Directions: Add all the ingredients (except the garnish) to an ice-filled mixing glass. Mix everything together with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist and enjoy.
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