Let’s get one thing straight. The Martini might look simple, but any bartender worth their bitters knows it’s a test of restraint. Two ingredients. No fancy equipment. Should be easy. But anyone who’s ever sipped a bad one knows just how wrong that idea can go.
The Martini is the ultimate "nothing to hide behind" cocktail. It demands precision, restraint, and a kind of quiet swagger. Get it right, and it’ll ruin you for anything less. So let’s take a step back and deep dive into what actually makes a good Martini.
1. Ice Cold, Everything
Room temperature gin in a warm glass? No! The Martini should be icy! Glacial, even. Chill the glass, the mixing vessel, the gin, and most importantly, the vermouth. Use more ice than you think is polite. The goal? A drink so cold it challenges your fingers to hold the glass.
There is a delicious viscosity to a perfectly made Martini, and that my friends is what you are aiming for.
2. Stir It Like You Mean It
Thirty to forty seconds. Controlled. Measured. Don’t rush. Don’t guess. Stir like you’ve done it a thousand times but this it the most important one.
3. Vermouth Deserves Respect
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I see Vermouth sitting on the shelf, outside of the fridge. Vermouth is wine based and will oxidise and spoil as such. You want to minimise its contact with air and keep chilled at all times. One thing I like to do is to decant a newly opened bottle into smaller bottles if it's not going to get used quickly. Why? To keep air out and elegance in.
4. Know Your Ratios
I’m a 6:1 martini drinker, and if you don’t know what that means, then it’s high time you learned. This number references the gin to vermouth ratio. The smaller the difference in the numbers, the wetter the martini. You could try a 2:1 or increasingly popular Fifty Fifty (1:1 ration).
Don’t eyeball it, use a jigger! There’s no wrong answer. But you should know what you’re aiming for.
5. Garnish Isn’t a Decoration, it’s a Choice
Your guests will usually have a preference but don't be afraid to try different options. As a loose rule of thumb, let the gin guide you. Bright and citrusy? Go lemon. Bold and savoury? Let olives shine. Or a personal fave, the Gibson, garnished with two cocktail onions.
And most importantly. Alway have the garnish prepped before you pour the martini into the glass. There is nothing worse than watching your martini warm up while a bartender chases olives around a jar.
6. Balance Over Bite
The best Martini doesn’t scream. It doesn’t burn. It should feel cool, silky, and effortlessly complex. Like someone who doesn’t need to raise their voice to be taken seriously.
So, what’s the secret? There isn’t one. It’s just care, clarity, and cold-as-hell ingredients. You don’t need flair. You need to pay attention to the details.
If you’re making one behind the bar, don’t get distracted. If you’re drinking one, you’ll know when it’s been made right.
7. Trust the Process
It's crucial to do things in the right order to ensure the final product is served at the right dilution and temperature. You don't want to be chilling a glass once the drink is already diluted.
- Ensure the glass is in the freezer
- Ensure your mixing glass is chilled, either in the fridge or with ice
- Prep your garnish before touching any liquid
- If the mixing glass was chilled with ice, dispose of the ice
- Add the liquids to the mixing glass. Use a jigger!
- Fill the mixing glass to the top with ice
- Stir until just before perfect
- Fetch your glassware from the freezer and strain the Martini into it immediately
- Add the garnish
- Get it in front of the guest quick smart!
A great Martini isn’t a flex. It should be a foundational skill of every bartender.
