Martini Cocktail Recipe

Martini is one of the most popular and well-loved traditional drinks of all time! If you’ve ever wondered what exactly a martini is, you’re not alone. These old-school cocktails definitely have some mystery to them. It’s the perfect drink to have at happy hour or a relaxing night at home because it doesn’t require a lot of time and it’s not too complicated.

At its most basic, a martini is a gin or vodka and dry vermouth in certain proportions with an olive or lemon peel for garnish.

Make sure you use high-quality gin to make this elegant drink!

Though it’s a super simple recipe, there are some adjustments you can make. Making a martini “dry” means using less vermouth and more vodka (“wet” means the opposite, though is less popular), and “dirty” adding a splash of olive juice with your olives. “Perfect” means using an equal amount of both, and “neat” means using room temperature ingredients, rather than ones shaken or stirred over ice. No matter which way you go at home, the most important thing is to start with good ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 ounces of gin or vodka
  • 1-ounce dry vermouth
  • For a dirty martini: 1 to 3 teaspoons olive brine
  • Garnish: Strip of lemon peel (for a twist) or 2 cocktail olives

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pre-chill your glasses: Chill your martini glass by filling it with ice and water. Set it aside while you prepare the cocktail.
  2. Combine ingredients into your mixing glass: Next, fill a mixing glass with ice. Pour in the gin and vermouth. If you’d like a dirty martini, start with 1 teaspoon of olive brine.
  3. Stir the Mixture: Use a mixing spoon to stir the mixture for about 30 seconds in a circular motion until it’s ice cold. If you’re making a dirty martini, add more brine by the teaspoon if desired.
  4. Strain the martini: Discard the ice and water in your martini glass. Strain the cold martini mixture into the cold glass.
  5. Garnish and serve: Garnish with a lemon twist or olives. Enjoy!

NOTES

TO MAKE A DRY MARTINI: Decrease the amount of vermouth. Try ½ ounce for a balanced but dry cocktail.