The Perfect Martini: How to Make It

To be great is to be misunderstood. True of artists, true of cocktails. Take the martini. It can’t get any simpler than mixing 2 ingredients over ice. In spite of that simplicity (or maybe because of it), the mere mention of the word provokes the sort of hair-splitting superciliousness one might expect from a civil war re-enactor.

I’ve certainly waged a few war of words myself. Say the words “vodka” and “martini” in my presence and you’ll get an earful. Dems fightin’ words. But you won’t get me to apologize, because I am one of the martini’s most ardent conservators. In fact, for years I have been on a quest to make the perfect martini. And I just may have finally succeeded.

Use gin, not vodka

My discourse of the martini starts here: it's made with gin, not vodka. This isn’t just a snooty preference; to me, the martini simply doesn’t make sense with vodka. Vermouth, the “other” ingredient in a martini, is fortified wine flavored with botanicals. It’s the melding of the botanicals in vermouth and the botanicals in gin (like juniper berries and coriander) that gives a martini its crisp, aromatic character.

In cocktails, vodka’s role is to bring out the flavor of the other ingredients. It’s why it’s used in cooking. And so in a martini it’s bringing out the flavor of the vermouth, which isn’t a desirable base for a cocktail.

Ah, but vodka drinkers have a solution to this: use little to no vermouth! You know the drill. Pour vermouth in the glass, swirl it around, and dump it down the sink. Or use an atomizer to add a spritz. Or, my favorite, twirl a sealed bottle of vermouth over the glass. I’ve done all of it myself. But here’s the thing I learned: it’s not really a cocktail. It’s just a ritualistic way to drink vodka.

This is not the case with gin. When you start with gin, you will actually want to add vermouth. Which gives you, yep, a martini.

Use a London dry gin

As for what kind of gin to use in your martini, start with a brawny, traditional variety that you could imagine Winston Churchill tipping back. You’ll want a gin that doesn’t shy away from its juniper soul and is scarcely ever drunken neat, excepting dares. That leads us to London dry-style gin, such as Tanqueray, Bombay, Beefeater’s, or Boodles.

There have been a number of recent attempts to “contemporize” gin by making it more affable to palates anesthetized by vodka. But these failing Newfangled gins try too hard to mask the earthy juniper bite with strong floral and citrus notes and come off more as flavored vodkas—which I fear is intentional. To be worthy of a martini, a gin should boldly declare its gin-ness and still have enough character transcend it. That’s why the perfect gin for the perfect gin is Boodles.

Think French for vermouth

Living in Pennsylvania, I have precious few choices for dry vermouth. Until recently, top shelf was Martini & Rossi, the Coors Light of vermouth. That changed when some stores started carrying French stalwart Noilly Prat. NP is far more flavorful than the tepid Italians I’ve had and the best available in the Keystone state. But while on vacation in Savannah I snagged a bottle of Dolin Dry, also French, which is easily the best I’ve tasted. Paired with Boodles, it adds a light, grassy acidity that provides the bass notes to underpin the brusque bark of the gin.

Garnish with a twist

Olives are what most people associate with the martini, but the only thing they bring to the party is a briny snack for your significant other to filch while you’re not looking. Olives don’t add anything taste-wise to the cocktail. A lemon twist on the other hand does, provide a bright citrus note to complement the herbaceous botanicals.

James Bond was never a bartender

James Bond is inextricably linked with the martini, but he has probably done more than any real or fictional person to ensure the martini doesn’t get its proper due. Ever since Bond ordered his first vodka concoction in Dr. No, gin has taken a back seat in for martinis. And his suave “shaken not stirred” prescription has prevented many a mixologist from making a proper martini.

Now, if you’re going to have a vodka martini, go ahead and shake it. But gin should be stirred. I don't put much stock into the oft-cited argument that shaking “bruises” the gin. Doing so supposedly creates air bubbles. Regardless, you want some water dilution in your martini, but not too much; shaking is too much. Stir using a cocktail spoon and you won’t water down your cocktail like a certain British secret agent.

Perfect martini recipe

1. Chill the glass. Fill a martini glass with ice and add water—it chills faster.
2. Make a lemon twist. Remove as much or the bitter white pith as possible.
3. Empty ice into a cocktail shaker. Drain water.
4. Add 3 ounces of Boodles gin.
5. Add 1 ounce of Dolin dry vermouth.
6. Stir with a cocktail spoon for at least 30 seconds.
7. Pour into the chilled glass.
8. Twist the lemon peel to release oils. Rub the rim of the glass. Drop into the drink.

Now, enjoy your perfect martini.