Why is Martini one of the most popular cocktails around?

Some drinks never go out of style! While the world of cocktails is always serving up exquisite new drinks and combinations, nothing compares to the charm of a classic cocktail. One such cocktail that has stood the test of time is ‘the Martini’.

What is a Martini?

A Martini is a classic cocktail made with vodka and vermouth. It is one of the most popular vodka based cocktails in the world. Once referred to as “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet” by the famous American journalist H.L. Mencken, the Martini exudes elegance and style. 

History of Martini

While the exact origin of Martini is unclear, it is said that the name for the drink may be derived from the Martini brand of vermouth. However, many other theories are linking the name of this popular vodka based cocktails to the bartender who used to make it, the town it was created in, and so on.

While this vodka based cocktail is considered a truly American drink, some theories put its origin in Europe. However, it is in the U.S., specifically in California, that most of the myths and origins of the vodka based cocktail, Martini take form.

One of the most popularly cited theories of Martini is that “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a famous and influential 19th-century bartender, invented the Martini at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, sometime in the late 1850s or early 1860s. Another similar theory about this vodka based cocktail supported by the citizens of Martinez, California is that sometime around 1870, a miner stopped on his way to San Francisco at the saloon of Julio Richelieu in Martinez and paid with a sack of gold nuggets for a bottle of whisky. However, the miner complained that this wasn’t quite enough for the amount of gold he had given. So the bartender made up for the difference by mixing up this amazing vodka based cocktails, which was called the “Martinez Cocktail”.
Over the years, many references to Martini have been found in different recipe books and theories. Whether it came from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, or Martinez, the popularity of the Martini and all other easy vodka cocktails waned in the spritzer and wine-focused 1970s. However, it regained prominence in the late 1980s and vodka martini became a rage. It also brought about many variations of the Martini to light such as the green apple Martini or appletini, the chocolate Martini, and so forth.

How To Make a Martini

One of the greatest things about Martini is that it is an easy vodka cocktails to prepare. While people usually preferred to order Martini at a bar, blended to perfection by a mixologist, Martini is in fact an easy drink to prepare at home. All you need is a few ingredients and very little bar equipment to make this delicious vodka cocktail at home. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a classic Martini.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 ounces of vodka
• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• Ice
• Olives or Lemon peel twist

Equipment Required:

• Cocktail shaker or a Mixing Glass
• Hawthorne Strainer
• Fine-mesh strainer (if you’re shaking the martini)
• A bar spoon
• A jigger or small liquid measuring glass
• A martini glass or coupe glass
• A paring knife or Y-peeler

Procedure:

For a stirred Martini

• Before you get to building your Martini, make sure to put the Martini glass or coupe glass in the freezer to chill.
• Now, take a mixing glass and place the vodka and dry vermouth in the mixing glass.
• Add cubed ice and stir using a bar spoon for 30 seconds or until the Martini is chilled.
• Strain the drink into your chilled Martini or coupe glass.
• To garnish the drink, pare a lemon peel, and express or pinch the back of the lemon peel over the martini. Rub the lemon peel around the rim of the Martini or coupe glass and drop it into the glass.
• Alternatively, you can also garnish with speared olives.
• Serve the Martini chilled.

For a shaken Martini

• Before you get to building your Martini, make sure to put the Martini glass or coupe glass in the freezer to chill.
• Now, take a cocktail shaker and place the vodka and dry vermouth in the cocktail shaker.
• Add cubed ice and shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for 10 seconds or until the shaker is frosted or chilled.
• If you prefer ice shards floating at the top of your Martini, simply strain the drink into the Martini glass or coupe glass. 
• If you do not want the ice shards floating at the top of your Martini, then strain the drink through a fine-mesh strainer into the Martini or coupe glass.
• To garnish the drink, pare a lemon peel, and express or pinch the back of the lemon peel over the martini. Rub the lemon peel around the rim of the Martini or coupe glass and drop it into the glass.
• Alternatively, you can also garnish with speared olives.
• Serve the Martini chilled.

Variations of Martini

The popularity of the Martini also comes from its versatility. This has led to the creation of many variations of this amazing vodka based cocktail over the years. They include:

• Dirty Martini: The dirty martini is a delicious and a slightly salty variation of the martini. It is made by adding a small amount of olive brine to the mix of Martini.

• Vodka Gibson: Another one of the easiest vodka cocktails at home, vodka Gibson is a variation of the Martini that has added flavors of onion. This is made by garnishing the classic Martini with a cocktail onion.

• Perfect Martini: This is the most amazing variation of the Martini. It is made by using equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth with vodka that gives this drink its unique charm. 

Other variations of the Martini include a dry martini, an extra-dry Martini, a wet Martini, and so on.

Facts About Martini

Other interesting facts about Martini that add to the popularity of this vodka cocktails at home include:

• A Political drink: There is no other cocktail that is as tightly intertwined with politics as the Martini. In fact, Martini was the first drink of the day for Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States. Martini has been known to be the go-to drink for many politicians around the globe for its unique blend of taste, style and appeal, making it a popular drink of choice.

• The Hemingway way: The legendary author Ernest Hemingway’s favorite Martini was known as the Montgomery. This drink was named after the World War II British field Marshall who thought his odds on the battlefield were 15-1. And that was exactly the way Hemingway liked his favorite vodka –  15 parts vodka and one part vermouth.

• A Martini Lunch: During the “Mad Men” era, this vodka cocktails at home became symbolic of tax write-offs for wealthy businessmen. It was called the Martini Lunch. However, this suffered a backlash from the working class. It was John F. Kennedy who started the war against the “three Martini lunch” that allows a corporate executive to deduct his 20$ Martini lunch while a working man cannot deduct the price of his sandwich. 

• James Bond & The Martini: In the first Bond novel in the 1960s, Casino Royale, this vodka cocktail at home crossed the pond and got written about. The variation of the vodka cocktails at home was properly called a “Vesper”. By the second novel, Live and Let Die, Bond is drinking vodka Martinis, making this drink a trend that continued when the first Bond film was made in 1962. 

Martini day: The Martini has been so popular over the years that many parts of the world observe June 19th to be Martini Day.