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

Shogun Martini →

Shogun Martini

The Shogun Martini is named in honor of an historical event. In 1869, English Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Alfred, traveled to Japan on an official visit to promote trade between the two countries. His arrival coincided with a crucial moment in Japanese history, for the Tokugawa shogunate had just been overthrown by a new government under the nominal leadership of the Meiji emperor. The new regime was torn between those who wished to expel the west and those who realized that Japan had to adapt itself to the modern world. The Prince’s visit was the advent of the long trade partnership between Japan and Britain. The spirits forward Shogun Martini celebrates the marriage of Sake, the national drink of Japan, and Gin, the national drink of England. What better way to stimulate trade? Kanpai! Cheers!

Serves 1
Ingredients:
3 ounces of Gin (or Vodka)
2 ounces of Sake
a few drops of lemon juice
garnish with a twist of lemon peel or a lychee

Combine the ingredients with a half cup of ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or a lychee.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020 Martini glass by Lynn Latimer Glass

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.

Negroni →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2019 - Negroni Cocktail
Copy and paste to print the recipe.
THE NEGRONI
Ingredients: (Rule of Thirds)
1 or 1 1/2 parts good quality Gin
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1 part Campari

Preparation:
1. Add the ingredients to a glass with ice.
2. Stir until blended and chilled.
3. Add 3-4 drops of fresh orange juice and stir (optional)
4. Garnish with an expressed (squeezed) orange peel (zest, no white pith) or an orange round.

Enjoy!

“The Negroni was created in Italy, likely in the early 1900s,” says bartender Dylan Knox of Vol. 39 in Chicago. “The story goes, Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano—which called for using vermouth, Campari and club soda—and the Negroni was [born].” As they say, enjoying bitterness is an acquired taste. This colorful, bitter favorite is a classic aperitif cocktail recipe. I prefer 1 1/2 parts Gin to 1 Campari and 1 Sweet Vermouth and 3-4 drops of fresh orange juice to soften the bitterness of the Campari.

Source: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/negroni/#gs.f8n276