Dirty or dry? Shaken or stirred? One olive or three? Despite its simple composition of gin and vermouth, the martini — arguably the most classic cocktail of all time — certainly seems to come with a lot of questions. The ice-cold icon is one of the world’s most versatile and recognizable tipples, but it’s this same chameleon-like character that continues to confound drinkers who lack confidence when ordering.
Believed to have originated and evolved from an 1860s cocktail, the martini has taken on many guises across its centuries-long history. Despite not falling into the classic martini definition, the vodka martini has become a popular variation of the gin base. The espresso martini, which uses neither gin nor vermouth, may not be a true expression of the classic, but is another wildly popular cocktail that uses both the emblematic triangular martini glass and name.
To untangle the confusion surrounding the inimitable martini, we enlist the help of Canada’s consummate cocktail connoisseur. Jacob Martin, bar manager at Ossington’s Bar Banane, was crowned World Class Global Bartender in 2023, beating over 10,000 competitors with his creative cocktails. Martin gives us the skinny on what makes the martini so special, and shares tips for creating a cocktail lounge-worthy version at home.
Jacob Martin, bar manager at Bar Banane and the World Class Global Bartender for 2023
What is the history of the martini?
“The London dry gin martini is probably the most definitive and famous cocktail of all,” says Martin. “It's really emblematic of all drinking culture and the kind that precedes it. Its predecessor, this thing called the martinez, is likely one of the first canon cocktails written about specifically by this gentleman named Jerry Thomas.” In his 1887 edition of Bartender's Guide, Thomas includes a recipe for the "Martinez Cocktail," which features Old Tom gin and sweet Italian vermouth, dashes of Boker's bitters and maraschino liqueur, served with a quarter slice of lemon. By 1922, the martini had evolved to its classic form of London dry gin and dry vermouth, combined in a 2:1 ratio. However, as time and social events transpired, the drink order began to look a little different.
How has the martini evolved?
“A significant thing happens in the 50s and 60s — we, as a society, collectively forget how to bartend. And a lot of common-sense wisdom about how to store food essentially vanished … People stopped refrigerating. Vermouth is so perishable that it almost spoils like orange juice at room temperature. So begins a drinking trend of ordering martinis with less and less vermouth, until eventually no vermouth at all … Essentially, because it’s fermented, rotten vermouth.”
Why do you think martinis are so popular right now?
“What I think is happening right now is this tremendous revival in lounge culture where you have these bars which have a laid-back setting but are still producing high-end cocktails. I think that the martini, both in terms of cocktails specifically served in that glass, and also martinis in a traditional sense, captures that zeitgeist.”
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What are the types of martinis?
Dry martini
A dry martini uses less vermouth. “We’re usually talking about five parts of gin to one part vermouth,” says Martin. “That's a traditional way for a lot of people to consume martinis.”
Extra dry
The dryness of the martini has been debated for decades, with some barely adding the fortified wine to their cocktail. “If you're talking about a super dry martini, that’s where it gets a bit hazy. There’s a long precedent of rinsing the glass or adding just a bar spoon of vermouth to the cocktail.” However, some people take it even further. “Winston Churchill had a very famous saying: A martini is three measures of gin, then just glance in the direction of France.”
Wet martini
A wet, or classic, martini uses a higher vermouth-to-gin ratio than usual. “A wet martini is usually two parts gin to one part dry vermouth.”
Dirty martini
This savoury version of the martini adds a splash of olive brine to the cocktail and typically has an olive garnish. An extra dirty martini adds double the amount of brine to the drink. “It’s a tremendous way to mask some of the heat from the alcohol; it also makes you salivate quite a lot … Also, olives are just delicious.”
Gibson
“A gibson is a dirty martini, essentially, with a pickled onion and brine instead of olive brine.”
With a twist
When you order with a twist, you’ll receive a martini with a piece of lemon rind. The lemon is usually expressed to “aromatize the glass” with those bright, citrusy notes.
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Does an appletini or an espresso martini count?
“They're not really martinis — actually, they're not even martinis at all. But then again, if you want to be a purist, surprisingly few things are ... Martini also refers to the glass. And things like a lychee martini, espresso martini or pornstar martini are technically sours or dessert-style cocktails, served in that glass.”
Should you use gin or vodka?
“A vodka martini is actually a cocktail called a kangaroo. It's not a martini at all,” — though, Martin concedes that it can still be delicious. “It’s a matter of textures through the distilling process — that’s what you're tasting in a vodka martini. You're also shining a tremendous spotlight on the other things you're adding … Vodka is just giving proof and texture, not a tremendous amount of flavour. It gives you the ability to guide that flavour in the direction you please.”
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What’s the best gin to use?
“There are always going to be the purists who want a London dry-style gin, like the Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, but Plymouth Gin and Roku also make tremendous martinis. Then, maybe for the party piece, I might throw in Isle of Harris gin, from Scotland.”
Which vermouth is best?
“Probably, the most definitive one is Dolin Vermouth De Chambery Dry, which comes in the classic green bottle with a white and green label. That is absolutely fantastic. The sooner you drink vermouth, the better, but you’ve got about two months in the fridge.”
Where do you stand on shaken vs. stirred?
“There’s nowhere to stand because it’s only stirred,” says Martin. “There’s no corner for those godless people to shake martinis!” So who do we have to blame for shaken martinis? “It’s very much James Bond … The reason that James Bond takes his martini ‘shaken not stirred’ is actually a plot device that Ian Fleming was trying to use.”
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Why shouldn’t we shake a martini?
“When you shake a cocktail, you begin to pulverize that ice and you just release so much water into a drink — you get this super disjointed drinking process and you lose all those little nuances. You also lose what I think is probably the most enticing part of a martini, which is that almost-too-cold-to-drink, thick and delicious cocktail."
What are your tips for making a great martini at home?
“It’s all about the chilling. Get your favourite glass and chuck it in the freezer. You can chill your mixing glass or tin, and you can also freeze your spirits. Not your vermouth — because it’ll turn into a block of ice — but you can freeze your gin or vodka. You’re going to have to stir it way longer because everything’s cold. When you’re stirring, you're beginning to create that friction.You're releasing the water into the spirits and that dilution is really important. For most martinis, you want them to have about 20 per cent added dilution. One: Measure things very carefully. Don't just eyeball it — you need the right proportions. Two: Taste, taste, taste. And three: Choose high-quality ingredients that you enjoy on their own. Then you're going to have something that you really like.”
