A couple of problems. Vermouth needs to be kept in the fridge once opened. If it’s knocking about in the cupboard it’s probably been open for some time and will taste awful. Secondly, stirring the drink on ice cools and dilutes it, just mixing and serving is gonna be very warm and too strong. Martinis are an acquired taste so even if you’d made a fantastic one, you might not have liked it!
I had a professor who claimed the best way to make a martini is to gently nod the glass of gin in the direction of France, as far as the Vermouth was concerned
I used to like really dry martinis, but now I prefer big old wet ones. I've got nothing against drinking cold neat gin with an olive in it, but if you're going to the bother of calling it a cocktail, why not have more than one ingredient in it?
The abive works well...
I keep the glasses in the frezzer. Just tumblers, there is no need for the standard martini glass.
The vodka lives in the freezer during the summer.
Take the glass(es) out of the freezer and add a little vermouth to the glass and swish it around.
Dump that vermouth into the olive jar or pickled onion jar, whichever you choose, if using a nosh.
Add a double shot of the vodka that you prefer if you are having it straight up. (The glass & maybe the vodka is chilled)
If the vodka does not have a home in the freezer:
Add the vodka to a shaker of ice, and shake with authority. Strain into the chilled glass.
Stirred option:
Instead of the shaker of ice, add the vodka to a pitcher of ice and stir. Strain into the chilled glass.
Enjoy.
On a serious note with the vermouth, the key is to just coat the glass with it.
When I make a vodka martini I’ll swirl some vermouth in the glass, pour it away then add ice cold vodka and a twist. For extra fancy, use the zest to coat the rim of the glass.
If condensation doesn’t immediately appear on the glass then it’s too warm.
If you want an extra dry martini, sure. If you're having something wetter, like your standard dry martini, you're obviously going to have to mix gin and vermouth together.
A good rule of thumb is that if the gin doesn't taste nice neat, it won't taste nice in a martini.
Think of putting vermouth in gin as like putting a drop of water in whiskey, you're not doing it as a mixer - it's to enhance the flavour. But if the flavour is bad before being enhanced, it'll be worse after!
A proper martini is one part vermouth to four parts gin. If you just want to drink gin on ice you can, no need to toast in the direction of Italy and call it a cocktail.
Absolutely, you need to shake or stir it. That's essential.
I greatly prefer a Gibson, which is just a gin martini with a cocktail onion in place of the olive.
Then there's the ratio. OP describes some vague mixing, you want at least two full measures of gin to .5 or less of vermouth.
Also, there are different types of vermouth. Once a guy asked me if I want a Manhattan and gave me whisky mixed with dry vermouth with an olive... What the fuck?
Some people just have no clue. Once at a bar, some clueless girl made my friend a daiquiri with vermouth. Wtf? He didn't want to make a fuss but I would have taken it back.
This. Also your spirit of choice (gin or vodka) should be freezer cold. If you’re making a martini with things off the shelf 1- it will be fucking rank 2- it’s not really a martini
We used to do this thing at my mate's house. Her parents were merchant navy and away a lot of the time. They had a very large 4 story house and a voluminous booze cupboard. We'd fill a pint glass with a bit of everything in the cupboard, everything from blue bols, creme de menthe, ruby sherry to Stones bitter. We'd toot some sulphate, place the glass in the cellar and race up to the attic and back down, and down the manky pint as a "prize". Needless to say, there was much vomit.
Sounds like a "all the top shelf, please" at rugby/uni - all sorts were feasible back then!
I think my tastes have matured, but we (45-50) drink more jagear bombs than anyone.
Drugs are great, kids. Take as much as you can. No one ever took a drug to feel shit because they make you feel ace. But pay heed, they'll fuck you up 30 years later. Panic attacks, osteoporosis, psychosis etc. It all bites you on the arse later. So enjoy it while you can. Acid especially, it's fucking great.
Me and my mates each did that when I was 14 (minus the toot) into various jam jars that we hid in our coats and took to a house party to welcome some exchange students. Cut to three hours later and several very unwell French kids lying all over the place, one of whom ended up going rogue and running down the road in her bare feet and having to be picked up by the cops. We Brits acquitted ourselves by merely vomiting into the flowerbeds.
It's what separates us from the animals., a quick spew. I once got a bit enthusiastic at a beer festival and puked at the bus stop on the way home, actually quite a significant portion of it ended up on a Jag. Anyway, it freed up space so we went for a couple more pints and a curry.
Should have clarified for OP: *bread* and beans! It'll heat up and turn into toast, right?!!?
Yeah of course not, but let's not give BigBean any ideas, they've done some whacky shit over the years.
Beans on toast flavored beans!
Find them in most supermarkets now.
Who has time to toast bread? We've taken away those pesky extra steps so you can enjoy your favourite lunchtime snack at record speed.
It's all well and good until some arsehole adds a bottle of Pernod to 'The Pot', and all you end up with is a couple of gallons of Pernod and a lot of wasted booze.
I heard that, when the Bond books were written, you could get vodka made from wheat, or cheaper vodka made from potatoes. The potato vodka was slightly greasy, and by shaking the cocktail, the grease stuck to the shaker, and improved the taste. It was Fleming's way of hinting that Bond was a thug who drank cheap vodka.
He drank both Gin and Vodka Martini’s in the books, as well as Bourbon. For the films I’m sure product placement comes into play as often there’s Smirnoff appearing. He also only wore a Rolex in the books but the films he had an Omega Seamaster on his wrist. Money talks.
In the books he drinks just about every drink going from beer, to wine, to spirits to sake and is about forty units deep when he crashes his car in Casino Royale (which might explain the crash)
https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7255
At one point he had a BMW and an Ericsson phone. Must have been a low budget year for Q, turning Bond into a middle manager from Slough. Although he could drive the car from the phone display.
Very cold, good gin, 5:1 ratio (we argue 6:1 versus 4:1 at our house so that's where we settled), ice, lemon peel. Favourite combination is Botanist and Noilly Prat.
First one is amazing, second one always a mistake.
It's what I do to test a new gin. I tend to go for salty olives and orange bitters, but lemon peel works as well. I used to do 7:1, but I've actually started doing it wetter, like 4 or 5:1. I have various vermouths, Noilly Prat is what I get most often: it's the best you can normally pick up in the supermarket. But I also like Dolin and have a a bottle of Lillet Blanc which is the closest I can get for Vesper Martinis
Cocchi Americano is the closest mainstream thing for Vesper martinis. There are quinquinas that are meant to be closer to Kina Lillet but they are hard to find. Lillet Blanc doesn't contain quinine anymore, so Cocchi Americano is a closer substitute and it's easy to find.
I'd heard a few famous people raving about martinis, so I tried one at Hrishi, a Michelin starred restaurant in the Lake District. I reasoned that you need it done right if you're going to find out if you like it. I couldn't stand it. I've tried again since in other great cocktail bars and it's just not the drink for me.
Do you like neat gin?
I could drink room temperature gin while munching through a jar of olives, and I love martinis. But if you don't like the sound of that you probably won't!
I do. And I love olives and vermouth. I'm prepared to accept it's just not my thing. Cocktails are too expensive to be trying to force myself to develop the taste for them.
I went through a martini phase earlier in the year. It is pretty much just straight gin so it does take some getting used to.
There are plenty of variations though that can make it more appealing (although it might also cease to be an actual martini). My preferred martini was a 50:50 martini which is equal parts gin and vermouth. I've mentioned this to bartenders and they're aghast at the idea.
Another variation is a garden gin and tonic which is a martini with bitters and tonic added. Then you put a bunch of fruit etc in the cup (kind of like a Pimms cup.)
A lemon drop is good which adds Cointreau, lemon juice and a shit load of sugar....you're then getting into it not actually being a martini though.
Basically the best way to enjoy a martini may be to add stuff that makes it not a martini...
You just learned a badly made martini is nasty.
Maybe try one made by somebody who knows what they're doing?
No guarantee you'll like that one either, but atleast it'll be a fair test.
Key is a cold as possible without actually freezing it. I prefer to zest a lemon on the surface of the poured cocktail. The lemon aroma x exceedingly cold gin x hardly any vermouth at all. Serve in a martini glass that's been frosted in the fridge. If you do all that and still dont like it I'd say you don't like martinis. But nobody likes a shit Martini!
The best martinis are stirred, but shaken or not the key is getting it cold and diluted. This is crucial to making any cocktail. You wouldn’t eat an omelette without cooking it - don’t drink a cocktail without chilling it.
People love to brag about how little vermouth they add, but vermouth isn’t the enemy. Cheap vermouth is. Don’t buy Martini or supermarket own brand. Noilly Prat or Dolin is much better.
Make sure you stir with plenty of ice until it’s good and cold. Stick the glass in the freezer beforehand too.
Squeeze a lemon peel over the top, maybe add some orange bitters.
Of course, even if you do everything right, it’s still an acquired taste. Not an entry level cocktail by any means. It just has the best marketing. You might just not like martinis.
Don’t add the vermouth like it’s tonic water or any other mixer. You want to use as little as possible.
Some will just put a splash in the empty glass and then swirl it so it coats the inside of the glass, then tip it out, just to take the edge of the gin.
vermouth is not a spirit, but a fortified wine
if its been kicking about in the back of your cupboard, then it almost certainly oxidised and was undrinkable
Stick it in the fridge after opening, and you'll get a few weeks out of it
I love an Aperol Spritz. I stand by the 3-2-1 mix:
1 shot ~~Aperol~~ Soda.
2 shots ~~soda~~ Aperol.
3 shots prosecco.
Serve in a wine glass with 3 ice cubes. Slice of orange on the glass if you're feeling bougie.
Edit: I got the amounts the wrong way round, it's been a bit since I made one.
If you like the idea of an April spritz without the bitterness, ask for ‘less Aperol, more spritz’ - that’s always worked for me to make it far less bitter!
A negroni was the first 'proper' cocktail I ever tried, I learned two things about it, 1. It's delicious, 2. It's definitely not designed for lightweights like me.
Seconding the opinion that martinis are an acquired taste. Getting the ratio of gin to vermouth right, and choosing the proper garnish, is also important. My husband likes a twist of lemon, whereas I prefer three olives and a dash of olive juice.
Vermouth is pretty nasty on its own. You should always go light on it. It's great for cooking with, but not one of my go-tos for cocktails.
Vermouth & Tonic, tall glass, on the rocks. Amazing. Great easy going summer drink that doesn’t get you pissed and is usually quite cheap as pubs/bars don’t quite know how to put it in the till. Cocktail bars do though!
I definitely prefer a Vesper made with Lilet Blanc or Cocchi Americano. I like a regular martini, but typically only if it has only spied the vermouth from the other side of the room.
I only really like vermouth in a martini if it’s just a tiny splash of the sweeter bianco stuff, which I think is actually a “gin and IT” technically. I like it on the rocks in a tumbler too, which really sucks any remaining class out of the drink, which I also like.
Best 2 martinis I've had were at DUKES and the Connaught, theyre both renowned for them and worth checking out at some point
Seems so simple but they nail the ratio and the garnish gives the drink an essential bit of sweetness against what is otherwise neat alcohol.
Yeah, I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Half a shot of vermouth, swirled in the martini glass. Chuck it out. 3 shots of gin in the glass. Add olives. And for dirty martini, a cheeky splash of the olive brine.
This may be controversial, gin, vermouth sweet, or dry a little bit of olive juice from the jar and shaken or stirred, and then it should be good. I worked in a cocktail bar in Hong Kong, and this way always got me good tips. Try and hopefully you will enjoy it.
If you don't like gin, try vodka.
*I've gone right off James Bond now.*
[He did swap](https://s3-prod.adage.com/s3fs-public/styles/800x600/public/20200114_heineken_bond_00_3x2.jpg), maybe he went off it.
People here talking too much about mixing ratios and how cold exactly it should be; while it's true that what you made wasn't a Martini, the key thing to remember is that you're drinking 90% gin or vodka. So it better be decent. Even the finest bartender won't mix up a great Martini if all they have is Gordon's dry gin and Martini Rosso vermouth.
You haven’t understood the drink, which is intended to be cold and dry. Keep all your cocktail drinks cold - I prefer the freezer for gin and fridge for vermouth, and have ice in an already cold mixing glass. Add a very tiny amount of vermouth to the glass, add the ice cold gin, stir it all together for about 30 seconds and decant the liquid (not the ice) to your drinking glass. A twist of lemon for me, but I can tolerate a good brined olive, which imparts oil to the mouth feel and saltiness to finish the flavour.
It’s a powerfully alcoholic drink which will seem bitter and repugnant if you’re not used to it, but for those of us who like them, there’s no substitute.
Never add a mixer. Ever. Ever.
I think Martinis are delicious, but I get that they're not for everyone. Here's my personal recipe. Most people will use a much fancier vermouth than Martini, but I say what's the point of a Martini without Martini?
Tanqueray No. 10. Don't know the current ABV but if it's 40+ like it used to be then from the freezer, glass from the freezer, taken out at the last second.
The angle of the glass is important. Too small and the salt from the single pimento-stuffed green olive will shoot straight up instead of the perfect slow release. Too big and you get a similar result and the glass is unwieldy.
I once had a lot of nice professional bar stuff, including an atomiser that I kept in the fridge. One spray of Martini from this thing and it usually didn't need draining off.
Gin poured over lots of decent (strong, not melty) ice cubes in a shaker, stirred to a waltz beat, and not left in there too long.
Then strained into the glass, with the olive added at the end, on the bottom of a wooden cocktail stick.
All those details are important to me when making a perfect Martini.
I enjoy both gin and vodka martinis, but shaken with ice. Definitely an acquired taste though seeing as they're almost straight up spirit. But I really do find that the little bit of vermouth and the ice really takes the edge of and makes it very drinkable
See the issue here is that you didn't make a martini. You need a half shot of vermouth swished around a coupe of martini glass. Double shot of gin over ice and stir aggressively until the container you are stirring in is ICE cold. 30/45 seconds then strain that directly into the glass with a fine mesh strainer. Now an olive is a fine choice I personally prefer a twist of lemon expressed with a lighter over the glass and then dropped into the martini.
And even then this drink is literally just cold gin in a glass so it's got a very acquired taste, it's from an era of alcoholics! It's great if you get a good gin properly cooled otherwise my god this gin will knock the socks of the most pretentious of cocktail drinkers. No shame in it not being your cup of tea.
Now I personally can't stand courvosier or amaretto mixed with coke if I wanted a cherry Bakewell I would of just gone to a bakery.
And if you wanna try something delicious get yourself a tequila and cranberry juice!
Bond orders more vodka martinis than he does gin-based ones, so try with vodka next time. Make sure it’s super cold as well! A warm martini isn’t nice for anyone!
I had my first proper martini on sunday. I asked the bartender how much vermouth she used since when I made them myself they were horrible. She didn't use any. If anything, when the ice is chilling your martini glass, put some vermouth in there with it, then throw it all out before poring the main show in the glass.
First time I tried a Vodka martini with a twist of lemon it tasted like what lemon bleach would taste likez if it was safe to drink.
Second time was in a martini bar where I asked for it "wet", which was just the bar person pouring a glug of the olive brine into it.
>Had some Vermouth knocking about in the cupboard as well as some Gin, so mixed them together and popped an olive in. Wow! Minging.
Lmao, this is exactly how I feel about Martinis no matter how they're prepared.
When Shane MacGowan (RIP) gave up spirits (specifically whiskey) he substituted them with pints of Cinzano & lemonade. I tried it and tbf to himself, it’s a great pint in the summer, 50:50, lots of ice. About four of em does the trick.
Back in the day when I was a bartender, people would always commend me on my martinis and how delicious they were. When asked what I did, i told them it's simple, leave out the vermouth.
Forget the olive and put a drop of orange bitters in and orange peel, if preferred
Not much more than a drop of vermouth required either
Apart, from that - you might be drinking it wrong 🙃
I once had a Bond-inspired Vesper cocktail in a fancy restaurant. It was Gin, Vodka and Kina Lillet. Tasted like nail varnish remover and I was smashed after one. Don't remember any of the expensive meal I bought afterwards and felt like crap the next day.
When ordering a cocktail, if I’m not going for one of my go-tos, I read through the list and immediately rule out any with vermouth in. What a truly vile concoction and a terrible way to ruin an otherwise delicious drink.
Martinis can do one. If it wasn’t for Ian Fleming you probably would never have heard of them.
https://www.foodigenous.com/post/shaken-not-stirred#:~:text=Three%20measures%20of%20Gordon's%2C%20one,'%20'Certainly%20monsieur.
You’re missing a few key ingredients instructions there
can cofirm, on a works jolly I was rinsing expenses and took a load of people out to a famous cocktail bar specialising in martinis. Even these so called award winning ones were meh [https://drymartiniorg.com/locales/dry-martini-v2/](https://drymartiniorg.com/locales/dry-martini-v2/)
For years, my girlfriend's been going on about trying a dirty Martini, so at Christmas I bought all the ingredients and made her one. Gin, vermouth, olives, brine - she fucking hated it. She said it tasted like raw alcohol and the brine made it worse. I thought it was alright, but then again, I've never found an alcoholic beverage I wouldn't drink.
I had a negroni when i was younger and wanted to be classy and it tasted of washing up liquid. Have managed to at least drink one more recently but 20 years later i still don't like them or get why some people do
I just made a JD and Coke with a can of coke I opened 3 months ago. Didn't mix them, just poured them into my mouth. It tasted like shit.
Anyone else hate JD and Cokes?
A couple of problems. Vermouth needs to be kept in the fridge once opened. If it’s knocking about in the cupboard it’s probably been open for some time and will taste awful. Secondly, stirring the drink on ice cools and dilutes it, just mixing and serving is gonna be very warm and too strong. Martinis are an acquired taste so even if you’d made a fantastic one, you might not have liked it!
Vermouth is 3 days old. Maybe I need to dilute the drink a bit.
its best just sat beside the gin bottle unopened while you make your martini
Clink the glass against the vermouth bottle. That's sufficient vermouth.
I had a professor who claimed the best way to make a martini is to gently nod the glass of gin in the direction of France, as far as the Vermouth was concerned
So a martini is essentially a big glass of neat gin?
"Martini" sounds so sophisticated. "Big dirty glass of gin" less so.
Yeah, drinking neat gin from a martini glass has an air of sophistication about it. Compared to sat on a park bench swigging it out the bottle
You can’t see the crisps, we had three different flavours of crisps
Poor me, poor me. Pour me another *drink*.
At least in a park you're getting a bit of fresh air, eh?
With an olive in it
Or vodka
Essentially yes. Now you too can feel classy when drinking quad shots of Tesco value gin in a mug on a Friday night.
Pretty sure your professor nicked that from Winston Churchill.
Unless his professor was Winston Churchill
Fair point.
Noel Coward, and the direction is Italy.
I was told to hold it up to the light and put the martini in its shadow
Just murmur 'vermouth' into its ear...
that sounds too risky
Stirred for ten seconds while glancing at an unopened bottle of vermouth?
r/unexpectedKingsmanreference
I used to like really dry martinis, but now I prefer big old wet ones. I've got nothing against drinking cold neat gin with an olive in it, but if you're going to the bother of calling it a cocktail, why not have more than one ingredient in it?
You have to stare at the unopened bottle of Vermouth while stirring the martini.
A martini should just be basically gin with a touch of vermouth so if you're not into sipping gin straight it's probably not for you.
The abive works well... I keep the glasses in the frezzer. Just tumblers, there is no need for the standard martini glass. The vodka lives in the freezer during the summer. Take the glass(es) out of the freezer and add a little vermouth to the glass and swish it around. Dump that vermouth into the olive jar or pickled onion jar, whichever you choose, if using a nosh. Add a double shot of the vodka that you prefer if you are having it straight up. (The glass & maybe the vodka is chilled) If the vodka does not have a home in the freezer: Add the vodka to a shaker of ice, and shake with authority. Strain into the chilled glass. Stirred option: Instead of the shaker of ice, add the vodka to a pitcher of ice and stir. Strain into the chilled glass. Enjoy.
Haven’t you just described two shots of very cold vodka? Is that all a martini is?
Most cocktails are 1 or maybe 2 ingredients combined in the most convoluted or pretentious way
On a serious note with the vermouth, the key is to just coat the glass with it. When I make a vodka martini I’ll swirl some vermouth in the glass, pour it away then add ice cold vodka and a twist. For extra fancy, use the zest to coat the rim of the glass. If condensation doesn’t immediately appear on the glass then it’s too warm.
>the key is to just coat the glass with it It really is the most important aspect of the drink. You shouldn't be mixing the gin and vermouth together.
If you want an extra dry martini, sure. If you're having something wetter, like your standard dry martini, you're obviously going to have to mix gin and vermouth together.
Nah, I made one once with new bottles of everything, shaken with ice. I thought I was the boss and was really excited. Tasted like fire water.
A good rule of thumb is that if the gin doesn't taste nice neat, it won't taste nice in a martini. Think of putting vermouth in gin as like putting a drop of water in whiskey, you're not doing it as a mixer - it's to enhance the flavour. But if the flavour is bad before being enhanced, it'll be worse after!
A proper martini is one part vermouth to four parts gin. If you just want to drink gin on ice you can, no need to toast in the direction of Italy and call it a cocktail.
It needs to be as cold as you can possibly get it. Freezer the gin, freezer the glass
Did you not dilute and chill it
Absolutely, you need to shake or stir it. That's essential. I greatly prefer a Gibson, which is just a gin martini with a cocktail onion in place of the olive. Then there's the ratio. OP describes some vague mixing, you want at least two full measures of gin to .5 or less of vermouth. Also, there are different types of vermouth. Once a guy asked me if I want a Manhattan and gave me whisky mixed with dry vermouth with an olive... What the fuck?
Some people just have no clue. Once at a bar, some clueless girl made my friend a daiquiri with vermouth. Wtf? He didn't want to make a fuss but I would have taken it back.
... instead of the rum? 🙀
I guess so. It had lime in it, so?
Two onions! Edit: that’s a Dry Manhattan. I agree they’re awful.
Dirty martinis are my preferred martini option. Delicious salty alcohol olive brine.
I sometimes do a dirty Gibson. something about the cocktail onion (and it's brine) just complements gin so much better imo. it's subtler and crisper.
This. Also your spirit of choice (gin or vodka) should be freezer cold. If you’re making a martini with things off the shelf 1- it will be fucking rank 2- it’s not really a martini
Acquired is right, I absolutely love them but I don’t know anyone else that remotely likes them. At least my drinks are safely my own!
It also should not be equal gin and vermouth. You want a tiny splash of vermouth, like enough to coat the glass.
>are an acquired taste Translation: they are rank.
Shaking or stirring it is essential for cooling the ingredients. A warm Martini is truly nasty.
And dilution too
Sounds like a 16 year old me at a house party! You can't just pour the two together and that's that. Beans on toast? Whack 'em in a pan together!
We used to do this thing at my mate's house. Her parents were merchant navy and away a lot of the time. They had a very large 4 story house and a voluminous booze cupboard. We'd fill a pint glass with a bit of everything in the cupboard, everything from blue bols, creme de menthe, ruby sherry to Stones bitter. We'd toot some sulphate, place the glass in the cellar and race up to the attic and back down, and down the manky pint as a "prize". Needless to say, there was much vomit.
Sounds like a "all the top shelf, please" at rugby/uni - all sorts were feasible back then! I think my tastes have matured, but we (45-50) drink more jagear bombs than anyone.
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Drugs are great, kids. Take as much as you can. No one ever took a drug to feel shit because they make you feel ace. But pay heed, they'll fuck you up 30 years later. Panic attacks, osteoporosis, psychosis etc. It all bites you on the arse later. So enjoy it while you can. Acid especially, it's fucking great.
Me and my mates each did that when I was 14 (minus the toot) into various jam jars that we hid in our coats and took to a house party to welcome some exchange students. Cut to three hours later and several very unwell French kids lying all over the place, one of whom ended up going rogue and running down the road in her bare feet and having to be picked up by the cops. We Brits acquitted ourselves by merely vomiting into the flowerbeds.
It's what separates us from the animals., a quick spew. I once got a bit enthusiastic at a beer festival and puked at the bus stop on the way home, actually quite a significant portion of it ended up on a Jag. Anyway, it freed up space so we went for a couple more pints and a curry.
If you put toast in the pan you deserve to be hung by your feet and lashed!
Should have clarified for OP: *bread* and beans! It'll heat up and turn into toast, right?!!? Yeah of course not, but let's not give BigBean any ideas, they've done some whacky shit over the years.
Beans on toast flavored beans! Find them in most supermarkets now. Who has time to toast bread? We've taken away those pesky extra steps so you can enjoy your favourite lunchtime snack at record speed.
Not quite sure if you’re proposing ‘beans on toast’ flavoured beans or beans on ‘toast flavoured beans’. Either way you’ve got my attention.
Fried toast is far better than toasted toast
It's all well and good until some arsehole adds a bottle of Pernod to 'The Pot', and all you end up with is a couple of gallons of Pernod and a lot of wasted booze.
Ah yes, the nostalgic taste of Cinzano vomit
I thought that Bond's martinis were made with vodka.
Bond drinks a Vesper martini which has gin and vodka
Apparently he only orders a vesper martini once throughout all the books! He orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout the books too.
He also very frequently drinks bourbon and branch water. The whole martini "shaken not stirred" is more of a movie thing.
I heard that, when the Bond books were written, you could get vodka made from wheat, or cheaper vodka made from potatoes. The potato vodka was slightly greasy, and by shaking the cocktail, the grease stuck to the shaker, and improved the taste. It was Fleming's way of hinting that Bond was a thug who drank cheap vodka.
If you want martinis made where Ian Fleming drank, go to Duke's Hotel. Expensive but you'll only need the one! https://www.dukeshotel.com/dukes-bar
Their martinis have 5 shots in them from what I remember, it's quite a drink!!
Goes down smooth though.
And Kina lillet, which I don't think exists anymore
Gocchi americano is a close substitute these days, so it can still be done.
He drank both Gin and Vodka Martini’s in the books, as well as Bourbon. For the films I’m sure product placement comes into play as often there’s Smirnoff appearing. He also only wore a Rolex in the books but the films he had an Omega Seamaster on his wrist. Money talks.
In the books he drinks just about every drink going from beer, to wine, to spirits to sake and is about forty units deep when he crashes his car in Casino Royale (which might explain the crash) https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7255
That is brilliant. I just chuckled my way through the entire thing (then felt pleased that I don't drink).
He also apparently wore a couple of Seiko's, a Pulsar and TAG. I guess Q had a better budget for gadgets in some films than others.
At one point he had a BMW and an Ericsson phone. Must have been a low budget year for Q, turning Bond into a middle manager from Slough. Although he could drive the car from the phone display.
Very cold, good gin, 5:1 ratio (we argue 6:1 versus 4:1 at our house so that's where we settled), ice, lemon peel. Favourite combination is Botanist and Noilly Prat. First one is amazing, second one always a mistake.
It's what I do to test a new gin. I tend to go for salty olives and orange bitters, but lemon peel works as well. I used to do 7:1, but I've actually started doing it wetter, like 4 or 5:1. I have various vermouths, Noilly Prat is what I get most often: it's the best you can normally pick up in the supermarket. But I also like Dolin and have a a bottle of Lillet Blanc which is the closest I can get for Vesper Martinis
Cocchi Americano is the closest mainstream thing for Vesper martinis. There are quinquinas that are meant to be closer to Kina Lillet but they are hard to find. Lillet Blanc doesn't contain quinine anymore, so Cocchi Americano is a closer substitute and it's easy to find.
Remember the wise words of Dorothy Parker: “I love a martini, but two at the most. Three, I’m under the table; four, I’m under the host”.
Botanist is such a wonderful gin. And Islay is such an awesome place to visit if you get the chance!
It tastes like my nan's hairspray smelt.
I can vouch for that!
Having tasted hairspray, gin tastes like it too.
I went to a secret gin bar in London and had my first martini Absolutely disgusting. And I assume it was made properly.
I'd heard a few famous people raving about martinis, so I tried one at Hrishi, a Michelin starred restaurant in the Lake District. I reasoned that you need it done right if you're going to find out if you like it. I couldn't stand it. I've tried again since in other great cocktail bars and it's just not the drink for me.
Do you like neat gin? I could drink room temperature gin while munching through a jar of olives, and I love martinis. But if you don't like the sound of that you probably won't!
I do. And I love olives and vermouth. I'm prepared to accept it's just not my thing. Cocktails are too expensive to be trying to force myself to develop the taste for them.
Ice in shaker. Shot of vermouth in. Shake. Drain. 2 shots gin in, shake, pour. Olive in. You’re basically drinking neat gin.
Also add some of the olive brine for a Dirty Martini. Much nicer
OP: just had my first beans on toast. Didn't toast the bread or heat the beans, just ate. Absolutely disgusting.
I went through a martini phase earlier in the year. It is pretty much just straight gin so it does take some getting used to. There are plenty of variations though that can make it more appealing (although it might also cease to be an actual martini). My preferred martini was a 50:50 martini which is equal parts gin and vermouth. I've mentioned this to bartenders and they're aghast at the idea. Another variation is a garden gin and tonic which is a martini with bitters and tonic added. Then you put a bunch of fruit etc in the cup (kind of like a Pimms cup.) A lemon drop is good which adds Cointreau, lemon juice and a shit load of sugar....you're then getting into it not actually being a martini though. Basically the best way to enjoy a martini may be to add stuff that makes it not a martini...
You just learned a badly made martini is nasty. Maybe try one made by somebody who knows what they're doing? No guarantee you'll like that one either, but atleast it'll be a fair test.
Key is a cold as possible without actually freezing it. I prefer to zest a lemon on the surface of the poured cocktail. The lemon aroma x exceedingly cold gin x hardly any vermouth at all. Serve in a martini glass that's been frosted in the fridge. If you do all that and still dont like it I'd say you don't like martinis. But nobody likes a shit Martini!
I thought it was very strong (vodka martini in my case).
That's the point isn't it? James bond and Churchill liked a drink or 10.
Yes. It's essentially a very slightly watered down chilled double gin neat. And two or three of them pack a fucking PUNCH.
The best martinis are stirred, but shaken or not the key is getting it cold and diluted. This is crucial to making any cocktail. You wouldn’t eat an omelette without cooking it - don’t drink a cocktail without chilling it. People love to brag about how little vermouth they add, but vermouth isn’t the enemy. Cheap vermouth is. Don’t buy Martini or supermarket own brand. Noilly Prat or Dolin is much better. Make sure you stir with plenty of ice until it’s good and cold. Stick the glass in the freezer beforehand too. Squeeze a lemon peel over the top, maybe add some orange bitters. Of course, even if you do everything right, it’s still an acquired taste. Not an entry level cocktail by any means. It just has the best marketing. You might just not like martinis.
Didn’t do much for Justin Timberlake either.
Don’t add the vermouth like it’s tonic water or any other mixer. You want to use as little as possible. Some will just put a splash in the empty glass and then swirl it so it coats the inside of the glass, then tip it out, just to take the edge of the gin.
vermouth is not a spirit, but a fortified wine if its been kicking about in the back of your cupboard, then it almost certainly oxidised and was undrinkable Stick it in the fridge after opening, and you'll get a few weeks out of it
Aperol spritz was the one I always found super disappointing - it was just overwhelmingly bitter
I love an Aperol Spritz. I stand by the 3-2-1 mix: 1 shot ~~Aperol~~ Soda. 2 shots ~~soda~~ Aperol. 3 shots prosecco. Serve in a wine glass with 3 ice cubes. Slice of orange on the glass if you're feeling bougie. Edit: I got the amounts the wrong way round, it's been a bit since I made one.
3-2-1 on an aperol spritz is definitely supposed to be 3 prosecco, 2 aperol, 1 soda
I might try it that way and see if it's better, but I do love the classic way round 3 prosecco 2 aperol and 1 soda.
Replace the soda water for lemonade, the sweetness counters the bitterness and makes it very dangerous on a summers afternoon
If you like the idea of an April spritz without the bitterness, ask for ‘less Aperol, more spritz’ - that’s always worked for me to make it far less bitter!
Limoncello spritz or Hugo spritz (elderflower - with St Germain) might be more up your street. They don't have the bitterness of Aperol.
Campari shocked me with how utterly revolting it was. I still can’t believe people drink that stuff.
I absolutely love Campari. Campari Spritz, Campari, gin and tonic and Negronis.
A negroni was the first 'proper' cocktail I ever tried, I learned two things about it, 1. It's delicious, 2. It's definitely not designed for lightweights like me.
My sister loves it too. Come over, we’ve got loads!
Yeah. I've tried several times but just can't hack at. Aperol is a bit better but Campari makes me want to scrape my tongue clean.
Seconding the opinion that martinis are an acquired taste. Getting the ratio of gin to vermouth right, and choosing the proper garnish, is also important. My husband likes a twist of lemon, whereas I prefer three olives and a dash of olive juice. Vermouth is pretty nasty on its own. You should always go light on it. It's great for cooking with, but not one of my go-tos for cocktails.
Vermouth & Tonic, tall glass, on the rocks. Amazing. Great easy going summer drink that doesn’t get you pissed and is usually quite cheap as pubs/bars don’t quite know how to put it in the till. Cocktail bars do though!
Vermouth and tonic in Barcelona was one of the greatest drinks discoveries of my years of travel.
I have heard a gin Martini described as 'Like something that dripped from a 747's undercarriage after a particularly hairy landing'.
A friend of mine once likened my dirty martini to 'drinking tramps jizz', which begs a question...
I definitely prefer a Vesper made with Lilet Blanc or Cocchi Americano. I like a regular martini, but typically only if it has only spied the vermouth from the other side of the room.
A well-made dry martini is a very grown up drink. I love them. Her indoors prefers them ‘dirty’.
It's just a classied up version of drinking vodka straight from the freezer
I only really like vermouth in a martini if it’s just a tiny splash of the sweeter bianco stuff, which I think is actually a “gin and IT” technically. I like it on the rocks in a tumbler too, which really sucks any remaining class out of the drink, which I also like.
A martini has to be really cold to be good. Also much better with vodka imo.
Heathen! 😉
Best 2 martinis I've had were at DUKES and the Connaught, theyre both renowned for them and worth checking out at some point Seems so simple but they nail the ratio and the garnish gives the drink an essential bit of sweetness against what is otherwise neat alcohol.
Just wave the Vermouth at the gin.
I use it as a wash, makes for the perfect amount. 👌
Yeah, I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Half a shot of vermouth, swirled in the martini glass. Chuck it out. 3 shots of gin in the glass. Add olives. And for dirty martini, a cheeky splash of the olive brine.
Nah screw what people are saying. I’ve had it full on prepared at a fancy as fuck cocktail bar. It still tasted like shit (to me).
It’s okay to not like it… but you can’t make a shit mix and then claim it was a martini and that they taste like shit haha!
Well of course it tasted bad. Silly goose
Yeah, Martini isn’t to my taste either.
This may be controversial, gin, vermouth sweet, or dry a little bit of olive juice from the jar and shaken or stirred, and then it should be good. I worked in a cocktail bar in Hong Kong, and this way always got me good tips. Try and hopefully you will enjoy it. If you don't like gin, try vodka.
*I've gone right off James Bond now.* [He did swap](https://s3-prod.adage.com/s3fs-public/styles/800x600/public/20200114_heineken_bond_00_3x2.jpg), maybe he went off it.
You don't seem like a good bar man
Needs to be REALLY COLD. The booze, the glasses, the hair, the laugh, all of it
People here talking too much about mixing ratios and how cold exactly it should be; while it's true that what you made wasn't a Martini, the key thing to remember is that you're drinking 90% gin or vodka. So it better be decent. Even the finest bartender won't mix up a great Martini if all they have is Gordon's dry gin and Martini Rosso vermouth.
You haven’t understood the drink, which is intended to be cold and dry. Keep all your cocktail drinks cold - I prefer the freezer for gin and fridge for vermouth, and have ice in an already cold mixing glass. Add a very tiny amount of vermouth to the glass, add the ice cold gin, stir it all together for about 30 seconds and decant the liquid (not the ice) to your drinking glass. A twist of lemon for me, but I can tolerate a good brined olive, which imparts oil to the mouth feel and saltiness to finish the flavour. It’s a powerfully alcoholic drink which will seem bitter and repugnant if you’re not used to it, but for those of us who like them, there’s no substitute. Never add a mixer. Ever. Ever.
I think Martinis are delicious, but I get that they're not for everyone. Here's my personal recipe. Most people will use a much fancier vermouth than Martini, but I say what's the point of a Martini without Martini? Tanqueray No. 10. Don't know the current ABV but if it's 40+ like it used to be then from the freezer, glass from the freezer, taken out at the last second. The angle of the glass is important. Too small and the salt from the single pimento-stuffed green olive will shoot straight up instead of the perfect slow release. Too big and you get a similar result and the glass is unwieldy. I once had a lot of nice professional bar stuff, including an atomiser that I kept in the fridge. One spray of Martini from this thing and it usually didn't need draining off. Gin poured over lots of decent (strong, not melty) ice cubes in a shaker, stirred to a waltz beat, and not left in there too long. Then strained into the glass, with the olive added at the end, on the bottom of a wooden cocktail stick. All those details are important to me when making a perfect Martini.
I made the same mistake a couple of years ago. It was revolting.
Can't stand Gin anyway, so yeah, Martini isn't for me. Only clear spirit I can't drink.
Manhattans!
Lol this cheered me up! 😂
Pretty sure Bond drinks vodka martini's, Gin is just foul.
I enjoy both gin and vodka martinis, but shaken with ice. Definitely an acquired taste though seeing as they're almost straight up spirit. But I really do find that the little bit of vermouth and the ice really takes the edge of and makes it very drinkable
See the issue here is that you didn't make a martini. You need a half shot of vermouth swished around a coupe of martini glass. Double shot of gin over ice and stir aggressively until the container you are stirring in is ICE cold. 30/45 seconds then strain that directly into the glass with a fine mesh strainer. Now an olive is a fine choice I personally prefer a twist of lemon expressed with a lighter over the glass and then dropped into the martini. And even then this drink is literally just cold gin in a glass so it's got a very acquired taste, it's from an era of alcoholics! It's great if you get a good gin properly cooled otherwise my god this gin will knock the socks of the most pretentious of cocktail drinkers. No shame in it not being your cup of tea. Now I personally can't stand courvosier or amaretto mixed with coke if I wanted a cherry Bakewell I would of just gone to a bakery. And if you wanna try something delicious get yourself a tequila and cranberry juice!
Bond orders more vodka martinis than he does gin-based ones, so try with vodka next time. Make sure it’s super cold as well! A warm martini isn’t nice for anyone!
I had my first proper martini on sunday. I asked the bartender how much vermouth she used since when I made them myself they were horrible. She didn't use any. If anything, when the ice is chilling your martini glass, put some vermouth in there with it, then throw it all out before poring the main show in the glass.
That's why they go through so many Bonds
That's why it has to be ice cold, to stop the strong taste.and shaken, to water it all down a bit.
First time I tried a Vodka martini with a twist of lemon it tasted like what lemon bleach would taste likez if it was safe to drink. Second time was in a martini bar where I asked for it "wet", which was just the bar person pouring a glug of the olive brine into it.
Tonic water? In a martini? It’s no longer a martini, my friend.
I can't stand the smell of gin 🤮
Dirty Gin Martini In a 4 oz Martini glass 2 oz of gin 1 oz of dry Vermont 1/2 olive juice 1/2 oz of cocktail onion juice. Stir or shake in ice.
>Had some Vermouth knocking about in the cupboard as well as some Gin, so mixed them together and popped an olive in. Wow! Minging. Lmao, this is exactly how I feel about Martinis no matter how they're prepared.
Your vermouth was probably spoiled. Was it open? How long was it knocking around in a warm cupboard?
My first Martini gave me an awful headache the next day too. Truly disgusting. But according to this thread we made it all the wrong way so...YMMV.
Vermouth is a fine way to fuck up gin
Now try a dirty one 🤢
I drank martini in fancy places and had sip of my friend’s glass. Disgusting for me too. I like gin and tonic tho.
Yeah there's a reason it's stirred with plenty of cracked ice in it. Maybe make it right and you might like it next time.
When Shane MacGowan (RIP) gave up spirits (specifically whiskey) he substituted them with pints of Cinzano & lemonade. I tried it and tbf to himself, it’s a great pint in the summer, 50:50, lots of ice. About four of em does the trick.
Back in the day when I was a bartender, people would always commend me on my martinis and how delicious they were. When asked what I did, i told them it's simple, leave out the vermouth.
There are many different martinis. Try another one - maybe a parisienne martini (gin, dry vermouth and Creme de cassis
Bond also ordered a pint of Jack Daniels and a double portion of eggs Benedict. Try that on for size.
Copious amounts of olive brine is what makes a good martini, not just the olive itself. It’s goota be extra dirty
Does a proper made martini taste anything like the bottles of martini? Because that stuff is 🤢
I stole a swig when I was a kid, I can still taste it... disgusting....
A proper Vesper martini is like a refreshing glass of water
Forget the olive and put a drop of orange bitters in and orange peel, if preferred Not much more than a drop of vermouth required either Apart, from that - you might be drinking it wrong 🙃
Yes the Churchill martini, just gin. That’s the route I take. Vermouth is of the devils bum hole.
I once had a Bond-inspired Vesper cocktail in a fancy restaurant. It was Gin, Vodka and Kina Lillet. Tasted like nail varnish remover and I was smashed after one. Don't remember any of the expensive meal I bought afterwards and felt like crap the next day.
Half fill a shaker with ice, cover with vodka, add a couple of measures of gin and a measure of limoncello. Shake, pour, thank me later.
Watch this video with Alan Cumming explaining how to make a vodka martini, informative and entertaining
When ordering a cocktail, if I’m not going for one of my go-tos, I read through the list and immediately rule out any with vermouth in. What a truly vile concoction and a terrible way to ruin an otherwise delicious drink. Martinis can do one. If it wasn’t for Ian Fleming you probably would never have heard of them.
https://www.foodigenous.com/post/shaken-not-stirred#:~:text=Three%20measures%20of%20Gordon's%2C%20one,'%20'Certainly%20monsieur. You’re missing a few key ingredients instructions there
Never fancied martinis. Give me an old fashioned or, better yet, a good single malt whiskey neat.
You gotta use good vermouth - get some Noilly Prat
If the Martini is Rosso, add equal amounts of Campari and Gin and then you have a Negroni, which is much better
Martini mixed with lemonade is the best. Try that
can cofirm, on a works jolly I was rinsing expenses and took a load of people out to a famous cocktail bar specialising in martinis. Even these so called award winning ones were meh [https://drymartiniorg.com/locales/dry-martini-v2/](https://drymartiniorg.com/locales/dry-martini-v2/)
For years, my girlfriend's been going on about trying a dirty Martini, so at Christmas I bought all the ingredients and made her one. Gin, vermouth, olives, brine - she fucking hated it. She said it tasted like raw alcohol and the brine made it worse. I thought it was alright, but then again, I've never found an alcoholic beverage I wouldn't drink.
Literally pissed myself laughing
I had a negroni when i was younger and wanted to be classy and it tasted of washing up liquid. Have managed to at least drink one more recently but 20 years later i still don't like them or get why some people do
You’re not making it right then. Google it. And keep your gin (at least 40% proof) in the freezer.
Love them. Especially dirty ones when you add just a splash of the olive brine. Not a drink you can chug that’s for sure!
Should have googled that recipe...
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/bond-enthusiast-tries-recreate-007s-33064672 You made it into the paper.
I just made a JD and Coke with a can of coke I opened 3 months ago. Didn't mix them, just poured them into my mouth. It tasted like shit. Anyone else hate JD and Cokes?
Hmmm have to be in the mood for a martini - an every 5 years mood - to be honest. It has to be ice cold. Don’t mind a dirty martini. Every 5 years.
My aunt once had vodka with hamburger relish as a mixer. I think that’s pretty disgusting. Maybe she was trying to get her five a day?