Tonight's Martini

[Smatter Noguts]

It may be a subjective observation, but the Gin variety at my local seems to have slimmed considerably, with only 3 choices where it used to be a dozen.

The Mazagine used to state that Gin was the essential spirit for the home bar but that seems to becoming part of a beygone era.

Anyway, made a discovery at the local market tonight, so here we go:

4 parts Tanquery (Dad still insist on Burnett's, but it's what I got)
1 part Noilly-Pratt Dry Vermouth
2 large garlic-stuffed calmeto olives

Stir the ingredients with ice, let sit 1 minute, pour into a Martini glass and throw in the olives.

Same reaction as years ago; first sip, eh, second tolerable, third OMG. The olives I used were packed in olive oil and the garlic is a very faint infusion, but takes it from a dry alcohol punishment to a tasty concoction. My late uncle who would wave a bottle of vermouth over his martini is rolling in his grave at this observation, but there you have it, I liked it.

[mistah willies]

Man that sounds intriguing. I'll be looking to find them garlic stuffed olives in olive oil. The purple olives, huh.

I wonder how a slightly dirty Martini with the oil would be...

[Patchez]

Good for you Smatter. Indeed we like it how we like it. I never have fallen into the whole teaspoon or thimble full or even the waving of the vermouth at a Martini. If you want to drink your gin straight feel free to do so, just don't call it a Martini because a drop or less of vermouth was in it or the glass was shown a bottle of vermouth or any of that nonsense. Pretentious horseshit in my opinion. Then that is only one asshole's opinion and really, what the fuck do I know?

Well I do know what I like and that is the old "Perfect Martini" 1 part each of Dry and Sweet Vermouth and 3 or 4 parts Gin.

Sue me.

[mistah willies]

Ya know,

A while ago, Mr Viking mentioned that he was drinking vermouth and -

more vermouth. That piqued my curiosity, so I took a straight nip of dry and although it is like very strong wine, it is still sweet, because wine is that way.

Maybe I'm just inured to how strong the flavor of any ethyl really is. What is wrong with vermouth? It's got ethyl in it, to a larger degree than table wine. I still take a chug now and then to round out the high from hard stuff like bourbon or vodka or what have you

So, back to the Martini. Do you know, in my favorite neighborhood pub Kosta's

when I order a Martini, I am asked what kind. That kind of bums me out in an odd and somewhat unreasonable way.

It should just be Martini, not "classic Martini"


Bastards riding on the Martini's coat tails.




.

[booznik]

What is wrong with vermouth...

Blame the "extra-dry" martini fad for this. Once the Martini became a glass of cold gin with a drop of vermouth in it, or Churchill-style, just a glass of cold gin, vermouth was relegated to the dusty-shelf. From then on, what most people tasted was old vermouth. Even though it's fortified, like an open bottle of wine, vermouth goes bad once opened.

I'm a much bigger fan of red vermouth than white, but in either case, it's essential to store it in your fridge and use it quickly. If you don't need a lot, buy a short bottle.

Dude. Did I just rant about vermouth?

What is wrong with me?

[Casual Binger]

I'm a much bigger fan of red vermouth than white, but in either case, it's essential to store it in your fridge and use it quickly. If you don't need a lot, buy a short bottle.

Dude. Did I just rant about vermouth?

What is wrong with me?

This sounds like sound advice. it's my birthday in a few days, so I'm going to get myself a present of a bottle of gin, another of sweet vermouth & a jar of olives.

[Casual Binger]

What am I saying? I live in a country town. Why would I buy a jar of olives when I can get fresh unpitted kalamata olives at the shop down the road?

[mistah willies]

What am I saying? I live in a country town. Why would I buy a jar of olives when I can get fresh unpitted kalamata olives at the shop down the road?

Yes, but who spits the stones out?


Know your stone pitter.

Now DRINK!



.

[oettinger]

Now DRINK!



.

quotable

[Casual Binger]

OK, I just read Palinka's post about using olives in brine over olive oil & I'm willing to bow to experience on that count. I also like Booznik's on the rocks attitude. Summer here can be punishing so a couple of chunks of sissy ice in any drink always goes down a treat.

[mistah willies]

Indeed.

That P.

well, he knows his way around that landmark drink.

Ya know, even though the olive gets brined and all, there is always a remnant of the oil, because that is what them olives do. They impart their lovely oil. That is the idea I have behind trying out the kalamata ones, in oil. Dirty, with the oil.

Maybe it will become a meal, much as the Bullshot has apparently become?

But yes, do the Martini up in the way that you will,

for that there, sir

is no certain swill

[Casual Binger]

What you say about the olive oil makes a lot of sense - I'd forgotten that olive oil comes from olives. I toyed with the idea of buying a fancy gin like Hendricks & that Nate Doily vermouth, but feared it would be wasted on me. In the end I opted for a litre bottle each of Gordons & Martini Bianco. Perfect for 50:50. Olive wise I got green ones marinated in lime, tequila & chilli. They're pretty tasty. Still a couple of days to go before I give myself my birthday present. I'm thinking chuck it all in a tumbler with lots of ice. Three olives under the ice & two ounces from each bottle on top. Will report back Friday.

[mistah willies]

I toyed with the idea of buying a fancy gin like Hendricks & that Nate Doily vermouth, but feared it would be wasted on me.

That Hendricks comes in a very cool pharmacist bottle, very thick and heavy and black. But the botanicals in that gin are mostly cucumber. Very light flavoring. That would be a fine sipping gin, IMO. Or, to show-off at the pub for the ladies. "Hey, I like to drink highly priced gin that makes a fancy Martini required to also have a slice of cucumber hanging off the lip of the up-glass..." Even more fun is to talk with one of them bar chicks with a slice of cucumber hanging off your own lip.

In the end I opted for a litre bottle each of Gordons & Martini Bianco. Perfect for 50:50.

That sounds tasty. I'll have to check that out. Hey, I'm no expert, but it took me a while to get back into gin, and now, it's like exploring a new world.

Olive wise I got green ones marinated in lime, tequila & chilli. They're pretty tasty. Still a couple of days to go before I give myself my birthday present. I'm thinking chuck it all in a tumbler with lots of ice. Three olives under the ice & two ounces from each bottle on top. Will report back Friday.

Ya know, I was talking with a good friend the other night, and I had a 3 part Martini, unorthodox. (I hope that I don't get kicked out of the Church of the Martini.)

But, yes, one of the thirds was vermouth, and another was olive brine. I felt my blood pressure rise...

This weekend is the slightly dirty Martini with olives in their own lovely oil.

Maybe it will be good for my circulatory system, like a Mediterranean diet of someshit

[Smatter Noguts]

Mistah has it right: holding the glass up to the light and watching the oil, water from the ice, vermouth and gin swirl about like blown smoke is a delight.

Got some huge green olives with both garlic and blue cheese stuffing, going to it right now.

[Casual Binger]

A friend at work warned that 50:50 might be too much vermouth. I tried a half nip of straight gin followed by the same of vermouth chased with an olive. I thought the vermouth tasted better straight than the gin but When you put them together in the same quantities it was too sweet for me & I couldn't drink it without grimacing. It appears twice as much gin as vermouth is about right for me. The olive is still the best part, but I had a room temp martini in the shower, this morning & it was perfectly acceptable. There's not much oilwith these olives, but there are whole cloves of garlic in there. Tonight I'm going to chuck what's left in the pottle in my drink with lots of ice & fill the tumbler to the brim.