“this is my humble opinion of the Dry Martini cocktail”.
The cocktail the drink that has made cocktails famous the drink that has made bartenders famous the cocktail that is known as the only cocktail the cocktail that has a glass named after it the cocktail that is the most photographed drink the cocktail drunk by famous people.
So I’m sorry to say this next controversial bit, “but it’s got to be the most over rated cocktail in the history of cocktails and mixed drinks” ok! There I’ve said it! It had to be said so I said it (I hope I’m not on my own). And it’s become the most pretentious drink and the drinker of the Martini has become very pretentious about this drink
Ok, time to explain my self, I am going against the physics of cocktails the praise from bartenders for this drink and the praise from legends, but in the old days of say the 1920’s after when this drink was created as we know it, even though Mr. Martini Taggia has the glory as the creator of the modern day Dry Martini even his had bitters in it which was 1912 (maybe). So when did it become a Dry Martini only with Gin and Vermouth I would say given the time cocktails are created and then get distorted from the original it probably came to be before the 1920’s and around the 1920’s only the people tending bar of the time have the answers and there was no magazines reporting who did what. So it became to be regarded as a fine drink (and still is a fine drink) and sat on the bar along side some other fine drinks like the Manhattan and the Daiquiri for instance at the time of great cocktails it had some great cocktails as friends and some great bartenders to make it. It was loved and photographed with the rich and Famous “it was Famous”. But how can it become what it is today in popularity by taste alone and 99% of the other classics of the time fall by the wayside. My feeling is that it became what it is today by becoming itself famous not because it’s an extra fantastic drink.
Lets break down what is a fantastic drink, is it fame and only fame that makes a fantastic drink. Maybe, because how does it become famous, obviously every one is drinking it and because it’s nice, or it becomes famous because it’s cool and sophisticated to drink it (big debate). As bartenders we always see one person ordering the same drink because it hits his/her button, but I think it’s impossible to have a fantastic drink like the Dry Martini that hits every ones button. The reason every one is drinking that drink maybe is that it’s a famous drink not just because it’s fantastic, great drinks like the Dry Martini taste great, but all drinks taste great to someone, so there can’t be such a thing as a fantastic drink that hits every ones button only it’s a fantastic drink to you. The way that the Dry Martini has been regarded as a fantastic drink above all others is as if it’s alive and marketing itself, making sure it’s in the right place at the right time for photographs and being in the hands of the famous. Come on let’s face it, it’s not that difficult to make is it, only two ingredients and the taste is not as complex as a Manhattan or a Blood and Sand, what’s wrong with these classic’s “ is it because their based on Whiskey and a Dry Martini is based on Gin and anyway nowadays 95% of people are even drinking Dry Martinis with Vodka (Vodkatini) so another consideration is that the Dry Martini that’s regarded now as the drink of all drinks has not really been invented by anyone individually, but another version of the Dry Martini so the list goes from the Martinez to the Fancy Gin Cocktail to the Martini Cocktail to the Martini to the Dry Martini and finally to the Vodkatini is that all the list, maybe, or how many other cocktails on the way eh!
Bartenders today are making Martinis of many styles, and make them they do with plenty of passion and they think of it as the timeless wonder and probably wish they could create something as good as it, well look at what it is and you can create something as good as it, its very ordinary. It has now become a symbol of most drinks the glass the olive even the orange or lemon twist are all national catastrophes. People asking for very dry please and sending them back because there not dry enough, (it’s just disgusting all the carry on ). But mind you, made properly it has become a fine drink now and that’s it, in the 1920’s - 1960’s it was a great drink and now I think it’s an average drink amongst all the cocktails of today except for the die hard Dry Martini guys who know what there doing in preparation, just too much talk about an average drink I think. I remember when I first started my bartending career people were buying a Vodkatini as a Dry Martini they would order a Dry Martini and we had been trained to say Vodka or Gin (they always said Vodka), and we had to ask straight up or Rocks (they always said Rocks), Lemon twist or Olive ( they always said lemon twist) so that’s how it was, on the rocks made with Vodka no less- and my manager told me to build it, I didn’t even shake it or stir it before we poured it over the ice. What difference it would have made to the customer anyway, I don’t know. So where’s all the mysticism in that drink, now that’s not a drink that came to be known now as the one and only cocktail. There is a correct way to make a Dry Martini and its not very easy to mess up in my opinion unless you’re an idiot and there’s no need for novels about it as well please. I like true to the cause Dry Martini drinkers they make me laugh when they talk about cocktails of today. As a whole and I can’t stand the new Dry Martini (Vodkatini) drinker that makes me say bad things about this cocktail. When I serve the classic Dry Martini drinker (that’s with Gin to you non classic drinkers out there) I love to chit chat with them about why they like it this way and how they like it and then about the history and a classic drinker will always enjoy to talk about the Dry Martini and other classics like the Manhattan (now that doesn’t happen with many other drinks- that’s true) and then I agree this does become the best drink in the world, but when I serve a person who only drinks it because he thinks its cool and has no idea and looks at you blank when you ask him how he like‘s it? Then the drink to me comes to be the same as every other ordinary cocktail nothing more and nothing less just a regular classic drink. So to me the Dry Martini has become the most overrated cocktail ever because all it is now is a cool drink to the majority that used to have some great friends sitting on the bar. Now it has to sit on the bar with a Fruit Punch and a Jack Daniels and coke, it was a great drink and now has been messed up by everyone to be this “the one and only Dry Martini” which is wrong. It’s a classic cocktail that should be sitting on the bar top with other classics and enjoyed properly with a group of people who enjoy drinking the world over, as for what it is now, it’s just a beautiful drink and shouldn’t be overrated as the best cocktail ever.
I know there are many bartenders out there going to say hey! Come to my bar there’s loads of Dry Martini drinkers, well that’s great, but I bet the majority of them are over forty five and are a small part of the business now, there are so many cocktails now called something with Martini in the name, Rumtini, Tequini, Crantini, Flirtini, etc.. I even have some listed myself, would our young customers drink them if they are listed and named different, No! And if they have ini in the name the over forty five true Dry Martini drinker wouldn't drink them that’s for sure
I wish the young could get in to drinks for what they are, and not drink drinks because it’s cool, it mess’s up the wheels of time for cocktails. Cheers to all the bars still making the Dry Martinis you’re lucky to have those customers, and a sad cheer to all the bars that take this great name and use it to sell other drinks that are truly not Martinis. Maybe the future holds a name description competition; I will put a suggestion forward here ok,
A Dry Martini is a cocktail with Gin, Vermouth and Garnished with a Lemon twist or Olive,
A Martini was the name of a cocktail by Mr. Taggia in 1912
A Martini is also a Glass.
A Martini Cocktail is a cocktail listed by Harry Johnson in 1888
A Martini can also mean Vermouth from Italy
A Vodkatini is a version of the Dry Martini made with Vodka, Vermouth and garnished with an Olive or Lemon
A Something Martini or ini is a rip off. (I have one of these in my portfolio too; the young customers and Manager made me do it)
A Fruit Martini is a cocktail with a base spirit and fresh fruit muddled and should be named individual, example: not an Apple Martini, name it an ApplBee for example like I did when I created an Apple style Cocktail in a Martini Glass
Naming a drink using the Martini name I think can get confusing, when the bartender first put an onion in the Dry Martini he correctly named it a Gibson or when he changed the vermouth for Rose’s lime cordial he changed the name to a Gimlet and that should happen more now, selling a drink because of the name is bad form I think.
After all that you will be surprised to see some cocktails in my book named after the martini, as a bartender I had to create some drinks in the form of the new Martini style (keeping my real passion for Martinis inside close to my heart), they were for menus in bars and the managers like to use the name Martini or ini to attract the young.
Thanks for reading
"Keep Mixing
Some Popular Martini drink
ApplBee
One of My favourite cocktails for a beautiful mix of flavours this was the first Fruit Martini I created. As you must now be aware I’m against calling them Martinis so I thought up a name for it getting away from the boring names of “Apple Martini” or Watermelon Martini etc... Maybe I would have sold more if it was listed as an Apple Martini, but when ever anyone asked for an Apple Martini I would say ok and just serve this one. This cocktail is important that you use floral honey and pressed apple juice don’t use regular honey or sweet apple juice. There is some wonderful recipes for an Apple Martini in the world and most fruit Martinis will vary from bar to bar
Ingredients
½ fresh Green apple cut in small pieces
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Centifloral Honey
1 oz Pressed apple juice
Muddle the fresh cut apple and Honey together first, then add the vodka and pressed apple juice and shake hard with ice and strain in to a chilled martini glass use the strainer (like a tea strainer )to make the drink smooth take out all the apple pieces and ice.
Variations
The only one would be changing the Apple for any Apple on hand or available, but I insist on the other ingredients staying as they are because that’s the drink
Drink SpecsThe apple must be a granny smith type the sour green one and make sure you eat a piece first to make sure the apple has juice and not too dry, the Juice in this cocktail also must be pressed apple juice if you cant find it make it with out, its not easy to make the juice your self. The Honey is an important flavour so make sure its Centifloral it’s a very flavourable honey and other honeys wont work, then the Vodka I recommend is a light one like Skyy or 42 below. This cocktail and all the ones in this section are not simple drinks to make and need patients and passion to make these drinks fun and enjoyable, making these drinks for a party or friends is not recommended as they can take up all your time, making one or two is good to do but muddling is not easy the first time.
Ruby / Raspberry Martini
This is a lovely fresh Fruit Martini, the recipe 1 listed here is not the one I use in the bar because I use frozen fruits or a puree in the bar because in Asia the quality varies too much from week to week for fresh raspberrys, so using a high quality imported frozen fruit and fresh fruit and blending it to a puree is much better. The recipe 1 I have here is with fresh raspberries, it will taste very different with different styles of Raspberry’s and sometimes an average drink because of the raspberry’s in Asia, but when using good fresh fruit this cocktail is definitely better and you will need to adjust it a few times with the pieces of fruit as the Fresh raspberry’s will differ from market to market and day to day
Recipe 1 (Raspberry Martini)
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
8 fresh raspberries
¼ oz Crème de Framboise
Muddle the fresh fruit with the liqueur add the vodka and shake hard with ice for 10 seconds, then strain in to a chilled Martini glass using a strainer to take out the bits.
Recipe 2 (Ruby)
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
1 ½ oz Raspberry Puree
¼ oz Sugar Syrup
Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice then shake & Strain in to a chilled Martini glass, no need to garnish in my mind but some bartenders will put a fresh Raspberry on the rim
Variations
Not really anything close to this, you could change the Raspberry’s to Blackberry’s or add a dash of cranberry Juice, Recipe 1 is a drink called a Raspberry Martini, but its with Raspberry Liqueur in my mind and using sugar syrup is better.
Drink specsRaspberries are not cheep in Asia and not available all year round, 1 pallet will make about 3-4 of this cocktail and worth the effort, but I wouldn’t recommend making any of these drinks at a party or when you have guests, make sure you are only going to make a few as once you start people might ask for more and you don’t want to be stuck making these all night. The vodka must be a recommended brand and the raspberry liqueur too.
Lotus Love
This is a beautiful cocktail if I may blow my own trumpet, it was created when Mr. Nolet the son of Ketel 1 Vodka came to the bar I was working in and was promoting the Ketel 1 citron and I created a Ketel 1 cocktail for him using star fruit, he said he liked it. So here it is, it’s very Asian and I have never seen a star fruit cocktail any where else.
Ingredients
2 oz Ketel 1 vodka
½ Star fruit chopped (cut end for garnish first)
2 Bar spoon fresh Lemon Juice
1 Bar spoon Sugar syrup
Muddle star fruit first on its own then add Vodka, Juice and sugar and shake and Strain, taste before straining as star fruit will vary from fruit to fruit you’ll need to taste it, so you need to use the lemon juice and sugar to soften and blend the drink. So give it a sip to test and add more if need. The taste I always want is fresh and a little bitter from the star fruit the lemon juice and sugar is only to round off the star fruit.
VariationsThis is a one off and I don’t know of any other cocktails using Star fruit, so no variations on this one.
Drink specs
This is an original drink by me and demand it’s with Ketel 1 vodka, but if you can’t find Ketel 1 then and only then you can use another premium. The star fruit must be chosen properly, in the market you can sometimes see the smaller ones are lime green colour and the larger ones will be paler, both are good but the smaller one will be sweeter and the larger one can be very juicy and when its muddled it will release too much juice and the skin is also week and some bitterness will get in to the drink if you don’t go soft with the muddler and you will have to taste the cocktail before pouring so you can adjust the taste, I prefer the larger ones as they are more juicy and less bitter/tart than the smaller ones that will be sharper and might not require any more lemon juice than listed above, make sure it has no brown marks on any part of the star fruit as this means its old and the flavour will be no good. The Lemon juice must be fresh squeezed also and the sugar syrup is to my recipe.
Essence
This was created when I kept getting regular customers and they wanted to have a strong drink but with-out the taste of alcohol (in Asia this is common) they wanted something in the Fruit Martini Style, they liked strong flavours, so I created the Essence this is perfect for the person who wants a strong drink, but can’t handle the spirits power (weird I know, but there are a lot of people like this and they need some cocktails to drink), every one is entitled to drink. As bartenders you have to be aware that you create a cocktail and maybe only one person out of your whole bar will really like it. There is a cocktail out there for everyone and maybe it hasn’t been invented for you yet or maybe it has, but you haven’t found it yet. As bartenders we have the responsibility to help with this. I think that we need to create cocktails for individuals and if they are liked by others then we have succeeded in our task to find that cocktail that is special for that one person.
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Lime Liqueur Marie Brizard
Piece Lemon and Piece Pineapple wedge
Muddle Lemon and Pineapple with Lime Liqueur, then add Vodka and ice and shake it up. Serve in a chilled Martini glass.
VariationsThis is like a modern day cobbler, just change the fruit to your fancy, but only one piece of each is enough, the name means there should be an essence of each piece of fruit you choose
Drink specsThe vodka can be any premium, but I prefer a light one like Skyy, Lime Liqueur must be Marie Brizard or if you can’t find it Rose’s Lime cordial can be ok the pineapple and lemon must be fresh cut. The taste is of each fruit flavour to smack the lips together and you should feel only a slight burn of alcohol.
Lychee Martini
This is a famous cocktail in Asia and if you’ve never had one and walk in to a bar with one on the menu or the bartender suggests you should have one, you will not turn it down the Lychee fruit definitely has a thing in someone’s psyche in Asia. It’s like chocolate cake there are many different types of chocolate cake, but if someone says do you want to have some chocolate cake you normally won’t say no, a Lychee Martini is like the name is a big giveaway with this cocktail. In Asia everyone has had Lychee sweets Lychee juice, Lychee ice cream and now we got the Lychee Martini. All the stuff about the cocktail named with Martini in the name, a Lychee Martini is a prime example of a Fruit Martini, a beautiful creation that should have had another name and not used the martini name (in my opinion). This is one of the great drinks to start the craze of exotic cocktails from London in the mid - late 1990’s, all of the cocktails from this era gave such a big boost for vodka’s new and old and maybe even got the drinkers to demand more and more freshly made good quality cocktails.
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka (a light poofy one is best, distilled 10 times or more)
½ oz Kwai Feh Lychee liqueur
1 ½ oz Lychee Puree Mix
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake & Strain then serve in a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a Lychee in the bottom of the glass.
Variations
There will be little to vary on this one only the amount of Lychee taste you want, but if you vary too much away from the recipe above the drink will be very sickly, it’s very easy to ruin a Lychee Martini, you are only looking for the Lychee flavours to be soft and not too sweet that’s why I choose a light Vodka to let them both accompany each other rather than one over power the other.
Drink specs
This drink is fantastic but not for the faint hearted remember is very strong in alcohol and flavour. The vodka can be any premium vodka but remember the drink will change with different vodkas, I prefer light vodkas like Skyy, the liqueur should be De Kuyper Kwai Feh Lychee liqueur, there are others on the market but I recommend the De Kuyper this time. The fruit can be canned as they are kept in there own juice so the taste is very consistent, fresh is very good, but not available all year and the taste will vary from week to week during the available months, but when its summer I love using fresh Lychee’s and making a display. This is a great cocktail and the shame about this one is, in Asia, Managers put it on the drinks list and don’t understand that if there bartenders can’t make it then they are going to lose some status with the customers because if you mess this one up it will taste awful and the bar will sometimes be graded by the new style of tastes like a Lychee Martini
Watermelon Martini
This is another great cocktail that helped to make vodka and the Fruit Martini become what it is this century. This is strong in alcohol and flavour again so don’t think its going to be like watermelon juice nearly all Fruit Martinis are strong in alcohol and strong in flavours, some people I know have ordered these cocktails because of the name and thinking they will be soft and fruity, be warned they are good tasting but still strong cocktails. In Asia some people in bars do say sometimes that a drink is terrible because they can taste the alcohol, (wake up your supposed to taste the alcohol) when I over hear this the first feeling is obviously anger about ignorance and stupidity of people who order drinks then straight away I think I have to train them and wait for an opportunity to chit chat with them so I can subtly explain a few things and guide them on what to try and what to look out for on the menu, 9 /10 times it works and 9/10 times people appreciate a bartender that spends time explaining the menu. Let’s face it most cocktail menus are with out pictures or strength guide and in Asia when some times there’s a language barrier you have be patient, or have a more colourful menu with some pictures of drinks and fruits, I love drinks lists when they are like this and even put a strength logo next to it, some food menus will have a Hot spicy guide or a Veggie guide, in Asia the more help you provide in the drinks list means people don’t have to be embarrassed and ask questions
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka (optional is to use Homemade water melon vodka)
2 oz Fresh Watermelon juice (made on the spot in a juicer) or 5 x 1” cubes of fresh cut Melon
¼ oz M.B. Watermelon Liqueur
¼ oz Sugar Syrup
Muddle watermelon and add rest then shake hard and strain to remove all pieces of fruit, use a Chilled martini glass and garnish with a piece of watermelon, it looks and tastes fantastic.
VariationsThere are a few Melons on the Market and do also make great drinks in this style, substitute your favourite Melon, I suggest maybe you might need to vary the ingredients, try it out. Another fresh Melon Cocktail is a Melon Martini (Fresh)
Drink specs
There are a few versions of this great cocktail and this one I think is the best, in my mind the vodka must be premium light vodka like Skyy Vodka. M.B. Watermelon liqueur cannot be substituted and if you can’t find it and you really want to make this drink then either use Midori or Orange Curacao, liqueurs come in many brands and I recommend you stick to a recommended brand. Remember how to choose a fresh watermelon
Millionaires Martini
Have you jumped straight to this section; well I hope you are not disappointed with my selection of Martinis, this is another one of my own. This one on the list is the sexiest drink in the world and again I’m sorry for using the Martini name, I have given this one to people who don’t usually like to drink vodka and they have more often than not had another one, you might also have to look around for the parfait Amour Liqueur, but it is available in Asia on the shelves of good super markets or specialist shops.
Ingredients
2 oz Grey goose Vodka
Bar spoon Noilly Pratt French Vermouth
Bar spoon Parfait Amour Liqueur
Add all ingredients in the shaker add cubed ice and stir & Strain in to chilled Martini glass and flame an orange skin on top and drop in for visual, letting the customer know what you have done to his/her drink.
Variations
This drink isn’t to be changed and I don’t know of any other cocktail similar to this.
Drink specs
This drink was created with Grey Goose in mind and cannot be substituted, Grey Goose is expensive so maybe try and pick one up on Duty free or ask a returning friend to bring one back for you and tell them you know how to make a great Vodkatini using Grey Goose. Vermouth must be Noilly Pratt and the Parfait amour can be any premium liqueur brand, practice first doing the orange flame, it’s a very important part.
Chocolate Martini
This has become a very popular drink around the world now and the recipe will vary from bar to bar and every bar says theirs is the best, including me I would like to take this opportunity to say my Chocolate Martini is the best.
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Crème de Cacao White
Chocolate sauce
A picture would help you understand what it looks like, but i'm sorry i dont have one so take a moment to try. Take a chilled martini glass and pour a thin line of chocolate sauce inside of the rim of the glass and let stand for 2 minutes as you make your drink, fill the shaker with the vodka and cacao and shake hard for about 20 secs , I like this one to be shaken hard to get some air in the mix, then strain into the martini glass, now the chocolate sauce will have dripped & fallen down the glass now in the style of tears, then sprinkle some chocolate powder on top.
Variations
You can change the Crème de Cacao to dark for a chocolaty look but I don’t know why I am so sure that the White Cacao of Marie Brizard and Hiram Walker have a more chocolaty and silky taste than the Dark version which I find a bit to dry when shaken up. If you find Vodka called 42 below made with the Fijoa fruit it would make a great variation of the chocolate Martini.
Drink Specs
The Vodka for my Chocolate Martini should be light like a Skyy or 42 below, the Chocolate sauce can either be Hershey’s or another good brand you can even make your own, but it will harden very quickly, the Crème de cacao must either be a brand know or have been recommended, the chocolate sprinkles can be made fresh by grating chocolate straight on top, using chocolate powder is also ok
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