For Vermouth

steved2112 · Post by **steved2112** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:56 am

I've recently settled upon what I will call my personal perfect Martini. Girlie bought me a bartender's guide, and in it is a basic Martini recipe:

1.5 oz Gin
.5 oz Dry Vermouth
Shake gently with ice
Pour over olives

My personal fine tuning: Three olives with no stuffing, and double the Gin and Vermouth. Serve in a chilled Martini Glass if possible.

I love it.

I feel as though I have graduated from the in-and-out Martini, where the Vermouth is like a photo of a long lost brother adorning the wall at a gathering you know he will never attend. I like chilled Gin, and if you add olives that's kinda Martini-like I guess. But without noticeable Vermouth content, it's Gin to me. To eschew the Vermouth seems fairly chic right now, and if that's preference then so be it. To each their own. But I decided to allow more Vermouth - a full quarter according to the above recipe - and I found that my Martinis were even more savory for it.

GSG · Post by **GSG** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:48 am

I'm with you on that Steve. A drink where the gin has only briefly met the vermouth - y'know, at a party or something, perhaps without even shaking hands - is no martini at all. The gin must be the muscled yet sensitive drink making the beast with two backs with the possibly virginal yet well up for it vermouth. That's a tasty martini.

Resident Asshole · Post by **Resident Asshole** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:50 am

At first I thought you meant perfect with a capital P, which would be both sweet and dry vermouth.

I love Perfect Vodka Martinis.

Blackneto · Post by **Blackneto** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:41 am

i'm pretty caveman when it comes to martini's

in a Martini glass
toss in one refrigerator automatic ice cube maker cube.
toss in one olive. if it bounces out and hits the floor try again.
pour enough sweet vermouth to raise the liquid level about 1/4 of an inch.
fill the rest with Gin. Preferably Burnett's.

Post by **Oggar** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:58 am

I was reading an article about Martini's in an old Cigar Afficianato magazine last night. I claimed the Martini was an off-shoot of the Manhattan. It also said that the garnish alone was enough to change the name of the drink. That Dry Martini's begin at a 4:1 Gin to Vermouth ratio and end around 10:1.

Martini has an olive or a twist
Gibson has an onion
Franklin two olives
Dickens no olive or twist (get it)

All things considered I'll still take [a] Manhattan.

Here's to Vermouth!

Resident Asshole · Post by **Resident Asshole** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:34 pm

Cheers. Seems to me that the martini is the little sister of the MANhattan.

Shonus Andronicus · Post by **Shonus Andronicus** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:18 pm

GinSoakedGirl wrote:I'm with you on that Steve. A drink where the gin has only briefly met the vermouth - y'know, at a party or something, perhaps without even shaking hands - is no martini at all. The gin must be the muscled yet sensitive drink making the beast with two backs with the possibly virginal yet well up for it vermouth. That's a tasty martini.

Yeah, so that's like the coolest thing I've ever heard anyone say.

MethFront · Post by **MethFront** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:46 pm

A martini isn't a mixed drink. It's the end product of Zen ritual.

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:03 pm

i hate vermouth. i'll put a hint of it in simply to call it a martini. I like it exceedingly dry. Dr. P was a witness. he also found a fix if there is too much vermouth infecting the gin. take a cocktail onion and swirl it about for a second. it clears up the vermouth taste for a moment. i like mine with three olives. yum.

GSG · Post by **GSG** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:27 pm

I will admit to not liking mine with olives. I sometimes like a bit of lemon in it though. Sorry.

maltlicker11 · Post by **maltlicker11** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:00 pm

I never knew of the "dickens" - I like the concept but I like olives too.

waahoohah · Post by **waahoohah** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:45 pm

GinSoakedGirl wrote:I'm with you on that Steve. A drink where the gin has only briefly met the vermouth - y'know, at a party or something, perhaps without even shaking hands - is no martini at all. The gin must be the muscled yet sensitive drink making the beast with two backs with the possibly virginal yet well up for it vermouth. That's a tasty martini.

:shock: !!!

And here I thought you were sweet, innocent, pure, and wholesome. Now that I know better, I like you even more.

Martini Time · Post by **Martini Time** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:27 am

Mothmanfront wrote:A martini isn't a mixed drink. It's the end product of Zen ritual.

Thanks Meth... I mean "Moth". I need to reinstitute that as my sig again!

Bluto · Post by **Bluto** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:24 am

steved2112 wrote: But without noticeable Vermouth content, it's Gin to me. To eschew the Vermouth seems fairly chic right now, and if that's preference then so be it.

You're absolutely correct. It's damn hard to get a good amrtini in a bar anymore, because most bartenders will simply wave a bottle of vermouth in the general vacinity of the glass. Seems like the "ultra dry" is the only thing they know how to make. I believe this is a result of inexperienced mixers nto knowing how much vermouth to add, which over time resulted in the dry martini becoming very chic.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:48 pm

Too much vermouth will kill a Martini in the most dreadful way. But too little of it and you'll and up with a nice glass of chilled gin. Which isn't bad, if i'm in the mood, but I usually like a Martini to be Martini. But I am guilty of a bit of blasphemy, since I leave out the garnish. The perfect Martini for me:

6 parts Beefeater gin
1 part Noilly Prat vermouth

Shaken with about 5 icecubes. A pretty firm shake, but not too long. You don't want it to taste like water. Then strain into a chilled Martini glass and take the first sip of that juniper goodness with Frank Sinatra crooning in the background.

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