Classic Martini

With only 3 essential ingredients, a martini is one of the easiest cocktails around. Its origins, like many other famous drinks, are not totally clear, though lots of folks think its title may come from the Martini brand of vermouth. Although the original recipe for a martini includes gin, both gin and vodka are now equally as common. The martini's simplicity has no bearing on its elegance—you will feel on top of the world after your first sip. No matter how you like it—dry or dirty, shaken or stirred—follow all of my tips below to learn how to perfect this classic cocktail:

What People Are Saying:
"I like mine shaken and icy cold. Nothing worse than a hot martini." -OliveSubmarine

How To Make A Classic Martini

INGREDIENTS

• Ice: Whether you prefer your martini shaken or stirred, one thing is for sure, all martinis should be COLD—I mean as cold as possible. As with any cocktail, ice ends up being one of the most important ingredients, so make sure that you have plenty.
• Vodka or Gin: There is no right or wrong choice between vodka and gin. The original martini recipe does technically call for gin, but vodka martinis have taken over in popularity in recent times. In the video above we show how to make a vodka martini, but the ratio is the same if you prefer gin. What is important is that you choose a good quality vodka or gin. There is nothing for cheap liquor to hide behind in a martini, so you really will taste a difference.
• Dry Vermouth: Just like your gin or vodka, you don’t want to skimp on the dry vermouth. A good dry vermouth will add some floral and citrus notes to your martini, and help add to the silky mouthfeel.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

For the best martini, you want a cold glass, as well as a cold cocktail, so try freezing your glasses ahead of time. For a shaken martini, fill your cocktail shaker with ice and then add in the gin or vodka and vermouth and shake well until the outside of the shaker is cold and frosty, then strain into your prepared glass and garnish with your choice of olives (3 is good luck) or a lemon twist. Some prefer shaken martinis because they are easier to get colder, and many like the small chips of ice that keep the drink even cooler as you drink, but if you want a silkier, more classic martini, stirred is the way to go.

For a stirred martini, pour your gin or vodka and vermouth into a mixing glass or cocktail shaker filled with ice and stir vigorously for about 20 seconds until very cold. Then strain the martini into your prepared glass and garnish.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

Service industry workers know the martini is the drink of many questions. Gin or vodka? Shaken or stirred? Wet, dry, or dirty? Olives or a twist? Here is a quick martini guide for folks who don't know what all the classic martini vocabulary:

• Wet: A martini with a bit more vermouth added.
• Dry: A martini with less vermouth.
• Extra Dry: A martini with no, or almost no vermouth.
• Dirty: A martini that has been spiked with olive juice, garnished with olives.
• Extra Dirty: A martini with extra olive juice, garnished with olives.
• Filthy: A martini with even more olive juice, often garnished with blue cheese olives.

Storage

Martinis are actually great cocktails to pre-batch ahead of time, especially if you plan on serving a crowd. The easiest way to do this is to scale the recipe up to the number of drinks you think you may serve, storing the bottled batch in the freezer, and measuring out and stirring to serve. This will give you an even colder martini, perfect for a hot summer day!