The Very Wet, Hot and Dirty Martini →

According to popular mixology lore, the modern Dry Martini (popularized by Ian Flemming’s James Bond series, or the drink of choice for a Wall Street business lunch in the television series Mad Men) began to replace the original version of the Martini sometime in the early 1900’s. Created first in Martinez, California in the late 1800’s, the original Martini pour was a 2:1 ratio of gin to dry vermouth. Sometime after the 1920’s, in response to more refined distilling processes, the proportion of gin to vermouth increased and the martini became “drier”. Today’s Dry Martini highlights the wide variety of refined gins that are available on the market and accordingly, the ratio of gin to vermouth has increased to 5 or 8:1 gin to dry vermouth, and among some Martini aficionados, simply opening a bottle of vermouth near your Martini provides the perfect balance of gin to vermouth. Not surprisingly, now the original Martini is called a Wet Martini. The Very Wet Hot and Dirty Martini is actually more a 50/50 Martini (1:1) that serves the purpose of a delicious aperitif highlighting the juniper and botanical notes of gin, balanced with an equal pour of a quality dry vermouth, made “dirty” with a few drops of savory brine of olives or capers and spicy heat from bottled peperoncini peppers, garnished with one or two olives of your choice to arouse the taste buds and prepare your guests for the meal to follow. Cheers!

Ingredients:
1 serving

après-martini

• 1.5 ounces good quality gin like Beefeater, Fords, Bombay Saphire, or Tanqueray

• 1.5 ounces good quality dry vermouth like Dolin, Noilly Pratt, Carpano

• 1-2 teaspoons olive or caper brine (to taste)

• 1 teaspoon brine from bottled peperoncini peppers

• 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice

Method:
In a bartender shaker or tall glass, combine the ingredients with a few ice cubes. Stir to chill. You don’t have to shake it which will water down your wonderful Very Wet, Hot, and Dirty Martini. Garnish with Stuffed Queen Olives or a twist of lemon peel.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-martinis
https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1121/martini/martini-history

Orange Whisper Cocktail →

Basically a 50/50 martini with a hint of orange. A refreshing alternative to the classic martini. Serve well chilled. Tchin! Tchin!

ORANGE WHISPER COCKTAIL
Yield 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 ounces Bombay gin

• 1 1/2 ounces Dolin Dry vermouth

• 3/4 ounce Dry Curaçao

• 2 dashes Orange Bitters

• Garnish: orange twist

  PREPARATION
  Add the ingredients to a shaker and stir or shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy!

Perfect Walnut Manhattan →

The Perfect Walnut Manhattan is proof that variety is the spice of life that makes our lives more enjoyable. A combination of bourbon or rye whiskey, walnut infused liqueur, sweet and dry vermouth, and a few drops of Angostura bitters produces a complex spirit forward drink that takes the traditional Manhattan cocktail down south to the land of black walnut trees and bourbon. The practice of making fruit, botanical, and nut infused liqueurs dates back to the dawn of mankind and probably came about accidentally when someone sipped some water with fermenting fruit in it and got a buzz on. After that the variations of fermented drinks were only limited by human curiosity and ingenuity. Italy has a particularly rich tradition of producing citrusy fruit liqueurs like Limoncello and Aperol, bitter botanical Amaros, and nut flavored liquors like Disaronno, Frangelico, Amaretto, and black walnut flavored Nocino. Walnut liqueur probably came to Italy during the time of the Roman occupation of the British Isles. The ancient Pict culture of north-eastern Scotland made a fermented drink of macerated walnuts they believed allowed them to commune with the spirits of the natural world. Over time, as the Picts were converted to Christianity, the practice of making walnut liqueur in the mid-summer when walnut trees were full of fruit became associated with the rituals of St. John’s Feast Day on June 24, not coincidentally the day when the Picts traditionally harvested their walnuts. Whether you’re a Christian or pagan, raise a glass to the ancient tradition of mixology in all its alchemical expressions. Cheers!

Perfect Walnut Manhattan
one serving
Ingredients

• 2 ounces of Bourbon or Rye whiskey of your choice

• 1 ounce Nocino (or Nocello if you can’t find Nocino)

• .5 ounce dry vermouth

• .5 ounce sweet vermouth

• 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Add the ingredients to a few ice cubes in a mixing glass or shaker. Stir until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a walnut half or a brandied cherry

Classic Martini Redux →

The classic Martini uses 2 or 3 parts Gin to 1/2 or 1 part dry Vermouth; garnished with an expressed twist of lemon, a pickled onion, or a pimento stuffed green olive. The Redux adds a bit more Vermouth, a few drops of capers brine, and a few drops of lemon juice, and your garnish of choice. The result is slightly softer and a bit more complex than the traditional classic martini. Make one to suit your taste and enjoy.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2019 - Classic Martini Redux

Yield: 1 martini

Classic Martini Redux

Ingredients:

• 2-3 parts good quality Gin (to taste)

• 2 parts dry Vermouth

• a few drops of brine from bottled capers (*Note: if you don’t have capers on hand, substitute the brine from a jar of olives.)

• a few drops of fresh lemon juice

• garnish with a pimento stuffed green olive, or a twist of lemon zest (no white pith), or your garnish of choice.

Preparation:

Combine the all the ingredients (omit the garnish) in a shaker and shake or stir to chill. (If you shake it too much, the water from the ice will dilute your drink.)

Strain into a martini glass. For a more briney martini, garnish with a large green, pimento stuffed olive; for a drink with more of a hint of citrus, express a lemon twist over the drink to release the oils and garnish with a lemon twist.