Martini 101

Vodka Martini

1 ½ oz vodka
¼ oz dry vermouth
Dirty Ice

1. Fill a cocktail-stirring pitcher or bottom of a cocktail shaker 2/3 full of ice. Add vodka and vermouth and stir until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 1 minute.

2 . Strain cocktail into a Martini glass. Garnish with Dirty Ice.
Makes 1 drink

Dirty Ice

4 to 6 large Martini olives 
1½ cups (375 mL) purified water
½ cup (125 mL) olive brine
5 to 6 cocktail picks or toothpicks

1. Spear each olive with a cocktail pick and place one into each chamber of a six-sphere (or six large-cube) silicone ice tray.

2. Combine purified water with olive brine and stir well. Pour liquid into each chamber of tray, nearly to the top. (Frozen liquid will expand slightly.) Freeze until frozen through, several hours or overnight.

3. Run tray under cool water to unmold ice. Place one dirty ice cube in the bottom of a deep v-shaped glass containing a Martini.

Makes 4 to 6 large spheres or cubes

Up or On the Rocks

An “up” cocktail is shaken or stirred with ice, then strained into a chilled glass. Ordering “on the rocks” brings the drink over ice. 

Dirty

A “dirty” Martini is traditionally dosed with olive brine, for a touch of golden colour and savoury taste. Modern substitutes: use dashi or salty broth (our Tomtini uses tomato water).

Shaken or Stirred

Martinis containing juices should be agitated in a cocktail shaker about 15 seconds then strained. The reward for stirring a classic (spirit plus vermouth) Martini over ice, for a minute or more, is silky, rich texture. 

Dry, Wet or Perfect

Dry white vermouth has a bit of sweetness, so a Martini with more of it is “wet” and with less of it is “dry.” “Perfect” cocktails combine dry and sweet vermouth. 

Vodka distilled from wheat is usually very neutral-smelling, and drinks fresh and crisp on the palate and the finish.

Try it in a Blood Orange Martini or Niagara Mist.

Potato-based vodkas can have mineral, earthy aromas and flavour notes, and take on opulent rich texture when chilled.

Try this style in The Carrot Top cocktail.

Rye vodkas are lively and spicy on the palate, adding a peppery and sometimes lemon-zest-accented finish to cocktails.

Try this type of vodka in a Maple Leaf Martini.

Vodka made from corn has a barely there presence, with a very soft, smooth texture and finish in mixed drinks.

Try it in this Riviera Martini.

Juniper-forward London Dry-style gins produce Martinis with evergreen aromas plus tart citrus and zesty spice, pairing well with olive or citrus-twist garnishes.

Contemporary gins are infused with anything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and even seaweed, to bring modern flavours in harmony with juniper. 

Dry white vermouth is the Martini’s underrated sidekick. Because it’s made from wine, open vermouth must be refrigerated. White vermouth will stay fresh for around a month.

Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove a strip — about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide and up to 4 inches (10 cm) long — from a lemon’s peel. 

Turn the peel yellow-side down, and use a sharp paring knife to remove some of the bitter white pith. 

Trim the sides to make a straight ribbon, then trim the ends on the diagonal to form a parallelogram shape. 

Twist gently to express the lemon’s oils, then rub over the rim of the glass; drop twist into cocktail and serve.

Olives

Choose pitted olives packed in brine — not oil, which leaves a slick on your drink. Specialty olives might be infused with vermouth or stuffed with blue cheese, almonds or traditional red pimento.

Onions

Garnish a Martini with a pickled onion, and it’s now properly called a Gibson. Gin is more traditional for this cocktail, but a vodka Gibson is possible, too. 

Botanicals

A sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme or even lavender, or a pick speared with a coiled ribbon peeled from a small cucumber, make fresh, unexpected garnishes.

Calculate

For each drink, you’ll need 1½ oz vodka or gin and ¼ oz dry white vermouth, plus ¾ oz water (that’s a 6:1:3 ratio, for a dry Martini). Multiply by number of desired servings. For example, to fill a 750 mL bottle, use 15 oz vodka or gin, 2½ oz dry vermouth and 7½ oz water.  

Bottle

Using a clean screw-top wine bottle or other glass bottle, funnel the ingredients into the bottle. Cap the bottle and gently rotate or invert to mix. 

Chill

Chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or for up to two weeks. Pour 2½ oz straight from the freezer into a chilled glass for each drink.