This is the most popular cocktail in the world, however it is also the most notorious for discussion regarding ingredients, volumes and method of preparation!

One thing is certain, always make two martinis at a time because, it should be drunk in the company of a wonderful woman.

1.5 oz Gin

0.5 oz Dry Vermouth

The volumes (or ratios) of these ingredients are a popular debate but in the end it is all down to one's own personal preferences. Originally the ratio started out as 1:1, then 2:1 and the classic recipe is now 3:1 - getting drier as time passes. See below for a Dry Martini (6:1 ratio) and an Extra Dry Martini (dash of Vermouth).

Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with an Olive (or a Lemon twist).

Many people believe shaking “bruises” the Gin however this has been investigated scientifically and disproved. Stirring makes a subtle Martini whilst shaking releases more of the botanicals and makes it colder – so stirred or shaken is purely a matter of personal taste.

Sable & Rosenfeld (and other producers) make vermouth infused olives called “Tipsy Olives”. These make a perfect match for garnishing a Martini.

Omit the Vermouth, for a Bone Dry Martini. The great British statesman Winston Churchill, who devoted a great deal of thought and time to drinking, was of the opinion that passing the cork from the vermouth bottle over the glass of Gin was sufficient. Due to this, it is often referred to as a Churchill Martini.

Add 0.5 oz of Olive Juice, for a Dirty Martini.

Change the ratio to 6:1 (0.25 oz of Vermouth), for a Dry Martini.

Replace the Olive garnish with a silverskin cocktail onion and change the ratio to 6:1 (0.25 oz of Vermouth), for a Dry Gibson.

Add a dash of Olive Juice, for a Dusty Martini.

Reduce the Vermouth to a dash, rinse the mixing ice with the Vermouth and pour the liquid out. Add the Gin to the ice, stir, strain and serve for an Extra Dry Martini.

Serve with two Olives as garnish, for a Franklin Martini.

Replace the Olive garnish with a silverskin cocktail onion, for a Gibson.

Reduce the Vermouth to 0.25 oz and add 0.25 oz of Sweet Vermouth, for a Perfect Martini.

Add a splash of Scotch Whiskey, for a Smokey Martini.

Replace the Gin with Vodka and shake rather than stir, for  a Vodka Martini.

As is the case with many popular drinks, the origin of the Martini has different stories. One says it evolved from the cocktail, the Martinez, which is made from Old Tom Gin and Sweet Vermouth. The first recorded Martinez Cocktail recipe is from a bar tending manual published in 1887, San Francisco. Another story from 1911has bartender Martini di Arma di Taggia (at the Knickerbocker Hotel, New York City) serving a cocktail made with Gin, Vermouth, Orange Bitters and an Olive garnish. Regardless of origin, one thing is for sure - it’s a great drink to enjoy.

In the book “Casino Royale” by Ian Fleming, the character James Bond asks for his favorite Martini:

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of Vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of Lemon peel”.

We believe around 20% of the James Bond films have 007 ordering a Martini (kudos to anyone out there willing to watch them and tell us the exact number). And every single time it is different! Perhaps it is James Bond who is the main protagonist in all this confusion and continuing debate regarding the “perfect” Martini.

Happiness is a dry martini and a good woman … or a bad woman. – George Burns.

I am prepared to believe that a dry martini slightly impairs the palate, but think what it does for the soul. - Alec Waugh.

I love to drink Martinis
Two at the very most
After three I am under the table
After four I am under the host. – Dorothy Parker.

Martinis before lunch are like a woman's breasts...one's not enough and three's too many. – John Humphrys.

Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other. - W. Somerset Maugham.

(Martini) The only American invention as perfect as the sonnet. - H. L. Mencken.

One Martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough. - James Thurber.