I've already dealt with the martini, here and here, but after trying the following recipe from David Wondrich's wonderful cocktail bible, Imbibe, I decided this one simply had to be blog-ed.
Dry Martini
45ml (1.5oz) gin
45ml (1.5oz) dry vermouth
Dash of orange bitters
Twist of orange peel
Pour ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into a martini glass. Squeeze a piece of orange peel over the surface of the drink.
Observant observers will notice the interesting element here is the 1:1 proportion of G to V, rather than the more common 2:1 ratio (as seen here). To stand up to such a large slug of vermouth the gin should preferably be robust (Tanqueray or Beefeater is recommended). The vermouth called for is Noilly Prat.
Crucially, or at least interestingly, the "dry" in this dry martini denotes the use of dry (French) vermouth rather than the sweeter Italian sort, as traditionally used. It does not mean hardly any vermouth, which seems to be a modern tendency, like Pop Idol or grime music.
As Wondrich writes: "Mixed like this, with half gin and half vermouth and a dash of orange bitters, the Martini is an entirely different drink to the one we know... a gentleman among cocktails."
Sounds up my street - I'm all for the more sensible proportions...
ReplyDeleteMan, 1:1? That's... well, lets just say that it's a commonly known fact that if you're ever lost in the Australian Outback, the best thing to do start mixing a martini - because no sooner will you have started then someone will turn up & tell you you're doing it wrong.
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