Gin and vodka in the same martini?

[NightShiftCharlie]

When I first saw the boards, I just knew I had to see what you guys think about a martini recipe I saw in True Prep,Lisa Bernbach's follow-up to The Offical Preppy Handbook, The Mixed Marriage. From the book:

Cocktail hour demands drinks with brio. Not for us a bananatini or a lollipop-flavored frozen margarita. Simple
daiquiris, gimlets and cosmos are okay for some, but the basic prep cocktail is a martini.
Those Who Know have discovered that traditions need shaking up (or is it stirring?) from time to time. A
vodka martini can seem boring, a gin martini can taste medicinal. Conventional wisdom dictates we never mix
our liquors, but now and then we have to take a leap from the commonplace. Let us propose the Mixed Marriage;
the Lucy and Desi of adult beverages and its colorful offspring, Baby Pinky.

Two jiggers Plymouth Gin

Two Jiggers Smirnoff Vodka

One capful Noilly Pratt Vermouth (Yes, we said a capful. It's a cocktail.)

Olive or twist, for garnish

(The Baby Pinky is simply a MIxed Mariage without garnish, but with a drop of Grenadine, "to introduce the idea
of antioxidants" -Chuck)

Pour into your favorite cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. If tiny shards of ice shimmer on the surface after pouring,
they are properly mixed. Remember our rule of thumb: One is not enough, and three are too many.

So, there you have it. The question before us is this: Can gin and vodka co-exist in the same martini? Sample, and discuss.

[captain gonzo]

After drinking an approximation of James Bond's Vesper (which was gin and vodka with lillet blanc filling in for the kina lillet) I can say yes they do work together, BUT it is not a Martini if it contains Vodka.

A Martini is a Martini, Gin and Vermouth Mixed to different ratios, within this simple idea you have plenty of scope for variation (using different gins, the ratio can be altered depending on how you feel). If you want a drink that tastes different thats fine but you can do it without sticking the Martini's name on it.

The mix of Vodka and Gin I found was great (but smirnoff is not a good choice), its a different taste and less fragrent. I prefer to use more Gin than vodka opting for a 3:1 ratio so not to completely flatten the taste of the gin.

[Wingman]

i wo;; dsu this:

vodka goes whith everything. why not gin?

[captain gonzo]

In all fairness gin essentially IS vodka with extra flavouring. So it will just water the gin flavour down.

[Jiggers McCoy]

Ever heard of The Vesper?

[NightShiftCharlie]

Oh, you mean the one James Bond was invited to try in Casino Royale, and which after trying to tell the bartender what he wanted, just said "Vodka martini, shaken, not strirred," probably setting back martinis for at least a decade?
I know a little about it.

Captain: I just got the particulars out of the book. If it were me, I'd probably start with Sapphire instead of Plymouth.

Oh yeah, since many around here loathe to call a vodka martini a martini, I've came up with another name for it. How about a Vodka & Vermouth, which can be shortened to V & V or Double V?

[Resident Asshole]

Oh, you mean the one James Bond was invited to try in Casino Royale, and which after trying to tell the bartender what he wanted, just said "Vodka martini, shaken, not strirred," probably setting back martinis for at least a decade?
I know a little about it.

Captain: I just got the particulars out of the book. If it were me, I'd probably start with Sapphire instead of Plymouth.

Oh yeah, since many around here loathe to call a vodka martini a martini, I've came up with another name for it. How about a Vodka & Vermouth, which can be shortened to V & V or Double V?

I agree with captain, Smirnoff sucks. And personally I love Plymouth, Sapphire is a step below it in my book.

IMO, why mix gin and vodka? If you want both, have two drinks!

[NightShiftCharlie]

OK, why are people dissing my Smirnoff? It's not like I drink the stuff straight. Hell, vodka-wise, I'm probably the aristocrat of my family; when they drink vodka at all, most of them drink Heaven Hill. Heaven fucking Hill! So it would probably be at the low-end daily-drinker side of Ivan's home bar list, but Smirnoff has been America's go to vodka for years. To me, vodka's a mixer, nothing more, nothing less. It's Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers, and coming soon, White (or even Chocolate) Russians. And of all the ones I've tried, including Ketel One and Stoli, nothing beats Smirnoff as a mixer. Maybe I might need a better one for a Vodka & Vermouth, any recommondations?

[captain gonzo]

Smirnoff is awful, and round here its the same price as stoli and costs more than russian standard...so its inferior and a rip off.

[Jiggers McCoy]

From the book:

"A dry martini," [Bond] said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's [gin], 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. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."
—Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

[captain gonzo]

Pity kina lillet is defunct, although substituting lillet blanc gives a decent drink and is the closest vesper you'll get now.

[beerkegbilly]

drunken martini