Have finally got around to taking a closer look at one of the classic cocktails, the Martini. The basic recipe is, of course, gin and dry vermouth. But the problem is that in every cocktail book you read, you encounter a different ratio of gin to vermouth. The ratio also depends on when the cocktail book was published, with the Martini becoming drier over the years as tastes changed, that is the ratio of gin to vermouth becoming larger.
If that was difficult enough, the resulting flavour of the Martini also depends very much on the brands used, with the result that for different brands, different ratios work best. This was a revelation that for a given recipe the final result was so different when different spirit brands were used. More so than I ever expected, so much so that you cannot really recommend a given recipe (ratio) without specifying the brands to use! Below are some pairings that I personally prefer. Again, taste is subjective – I prefer my Martinis less dry – and this post encourages you to vary the ratios for each brand used until you find your own personal favourite brand pairings and ratios. Feel free to discuss such pairings here.
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin: Ratio 3:1
| 1½ oz | 45 ml | Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, 47.3% ABV |
| ½ oz | 15 ml | Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Dry, 17.5% ABV |
Portobello Road No.171 London Dry Gin: Ratio 4.5:1
At a ratio of 3:1, I find that the vermouth is too dominate when using Portobello Road No.171 London Dry Gin, so I upped the ratio of gin to 4.5:1, which I found better balanced.
| 1½ oz | 45 ml | Portobello Road No.171 London Dry Gin, 42% ABV |
| ⅔ oz | 10 ml | Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Dry, 17.5% ABV |
Add plenty of ice to a mixing glass. Add the gin and vermouth. The best Martinis should remain crystal clear, so stir gently for about 1½ minutes and then double strain into a Martini or coupé glass to ensure no small pieces of ice remain in the drink.
Last week I had the opportunity to take Nick up on his new cocktail skills.
I quite like cocktails, although I do not really have a lot of experience in comparing them; I am usually more of a wine person.
We started out with a martini. It was a nice summer evening and then that delicate scent and fresh, as I just did not expect a martini to be capable of smelling. After that the taste! I could identify the juniper more clearly than ever before. Wonderful! Nick set the time limit for finishing the drink to five minutes max, which suited me fine…
Remark: I guess there is a copy and paste error on the website, as the descriptions for both Martinis are the same.
A little later, I chose an Old-Fashioned. That whiskey and ice were involved was all the knowledge I had. Therefore, I watched Nick preparing it. All the tools and different glasses and bottles he keeps impressed me. My local pub certainly cannot keep up.
Nick gave me more time to finish that cocktail. I cannot describe the taste, I just loved it and it made it straight to the top of my all-time favourite list.
We finished with a Mai Tai, which used to be one of my favourites before that evening. Once more, Nick beautifully arranged it beautifully and I enjoyed enormously. Certainly, the Mai Tai was the best I have had in years. Nevertheless, it failed to impress me as much as the other two did – perhaps I had just had enough.
Thank you, Nick, and anytime again!
Thank you very much Barbara! I am glad that you enjoyed the cocktails and could really appreciate what fresh and quality ingredients can do to a cocktail.
And thanks also for noticing the copy and paste error on the Martini post! BTW: we tried the Tanqueray No. Ten Gin: Ratio 3:1 on that summer evening.
Whenever you are visiting the area again, you are always welcome to drop by. As you noticed, my cocktail book had many more cocktails to try.