What is the 'best' way to make a Martini?

Question

In your opinion, what is the best way to make a Martini?

I hear that shaken not stirred gets you water with gin and bruises the gin, and I know there are a lot of ways to make Martini's so...

Basically I've watched too much M*A*S*H and now want to try a Martini, but I want it to be a good one.

Suggestions?

Answer 1

Start with a good gin. For everyday I use Tanqueray, for special I like Boodles, Cascade Springs, or Magellan.
There are varied schools of thought on martini's, but the classic martini would be something like this:
stir (not shake, since shaking produces ice chips) the gin in ice. I use a chop stick in a "shaker glass". Use good quality ice if you have it (beware stinky refridgerator ice). Add a cap full of Noilly Pratt vermouth (to a full shaker of gin). Stir it for about a minute, allowing some of the gin to melt the ice a bit while it cools the gin. While there is a lot of argument about this, try putting the ice in the freezer first, it doesn't allow for as much ice-melt, but it sure makes it nice and cooold. I like cold gin!
Strain into a chilled glass with olives or a twist of lemon.

Enjoy! I like about a 7 oz martini, but... I'm hard core, that might knock you on your butt!

Answer 2

Ok, first of all there is only one Martini. An Apple martini is not a Martini but is just a cocktail. The same goes for Vodka martinis.

Fill a shaker with ice and I mean fill it. Put in three jiggers of gin. (For the un-experienced a jigger is a shot glass and it is very important to measure correctly. A jigger is 1.50 oz.) Now you have the only option that you get to make. It is very cool to not put in the vermouth but you are missing out on the experience if you do, I would recommend 1/4 of a jigger but it also works to fill the cap of the vermouth bottle twice with the vermouth and put it into the shaker. Please feel free to adjust the amount of the dry vermouth. Then shake the hell out of the drink. This does two things. First, it chills the drink to perfection and secondly it places some water into the drink that can freeze. This is very important. When you get a "True" martini, it should have a very thin layer of ice on the top. If it does not you are missing the true Martini experience. Finally you need an olive. If you put anything else into this drink you do not have a Martini. If you use an onion you have a Gibson. If you use a twist you have a Pucker. If you put in some of the olive juice you have a Dirty Martini but whatever you do, you do not have a Martini. Now pour it into a well-chilled Martini glass and enjoy.

Hope this helps. Enjoy!!!!!!!

Answer 3

There are so many variations on the martini it could make your head spin! The most common martini is 3 oz of gin, a couple of drops of vermouth poured into an ice filled shaker. Do NOT shake the contents as IT WILL bruise the gin. Just swirl it lightly then strain into a martini glass. Throw in an olive or two and you're done! Try it both ways if you want to see the difference between a shaken (bruised) martini and a correctly made one. The well made martini will be perfectly clear, the bruised martini will be murky.

Answer 4

"Shaken, not stirred!" - Bond

'bruised' just means the drink is cloudy, it does not hurt the taste. Shaken drinks tend to be colder and better. A little water doesnt hurt because it can take the bite off the liquor.

You could have a gin martini or a vodka martini. Always use the best ingredients for the best results. Here is the classic martini:

3 1/2 oz Tanqueray dry gin
1 teaspoon dry vermouth
lemon twist or olive for garnish

Pour gin and vermouth into mixing glass. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Answer 5

Well, it seems you have a lot of answers here, most of which are correct.

I am a bartender and have been for many years.
A REAL martini is made with gin and vermouth.

You can alter how much and add other ingredients to make it to your liking.

Most martinis now are made with vodka and other liquors and they don't taste like a classic martini. But, both are good.
It depends on what you like the most.

And.....if you stir as opposed to shake, you will get more of the taste and a less watered down martini.

When you shake the ingredients with ice, it adds some water to the drink, and that is why most bars will do it that way, so the drink isn't short.

But, if you stir it, it doesn't add as much water from the ice into the drink.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

Oooh, I absolutely love martinis, but you've got to start off with the right glass - an army helmet or test tube will not do!! So, get a lovely heavy classic martini glass - nothing else will do, it won't taste right without it! Fill the glass two thirds full with gin, I lurve Bombay Sapphire. Tip the gin into your shaker that has 5 ice cubes in it. Then take a bottle of Noilly Prat and fill the cap of the bottle with the vermouth. Tip this into the shaker, put the top on the shaker and shake for all you're worth for 30 seconds. Put two pimento stuffed olives (or those yummy Tabasco olives) on a cocktail stick and put in your glass, and strain your martini over them. Hope you like it - guaranteed to start your party off with a bang, people that aren't used to it get absolutely hammered on a few sips. Yum Meee xxxx

Answer 7

shaken not stirred use tangaray 10 gin it has all fresh botanical put some ice in a shaker glass add gin and shake put in an ice cold martini glass garnish it with blue cheese stuffed olives

Answer 8

Shaken or stirred makes no difference.

So to make a martini, put your arm around it, tell it how good it is looking. Ask if it comes here often, where it went to school, where it works. You know, all the usual moves a guy on the make uses...

Answer 9

Mostly Gin, a little dry vermouth in a shaker...add crushed ice and shake. Pour into a martini glass.
Add an olive or small martini onion to taste

Answer 10

The way I drink them:

Top Shelf gin - Hendrick's or Boodles. Tanq is crappy. Sapphire is acceptable.
A little dry - Meaning a little vermouth
Up - meaning no ice
one olive - you don't want a frickin fruit bar in your drink.

I don't care about shaken or stirred. Just hold the glass by the stem and don't drink more than 2.