-William Faulkner
Welcome to a few weeks of ad hoc discussions about perhaps the most famous drink of all time. Be forewarned: this will not be exhaustive in any way, just enough information imparted to justify some solid thinking and drinking. With a subject as wide and deep as this one, how to kick it off? Best to start at the very beginning, with the classic Martini Cocktail.
As you'll find with most drinking lore, dates and origin stories vary widely, but the general outline goes something like this: distilled liquors have been around for a long time, but in the mid-late 1800s vermouth comes on the scene and then some genius thinks to combine them. The result is the classic duo of bartending, The Manhattan and The Martini. Between 1880 and 1915, experimenting goes on everywhere, and many of the recipes still exist today. Any bartending book will feature multiple combinations generally lumped under the Martini moniker.
As a baseline for the weeks to come, I'm drinking today the generally accepted classic Martini. I've mixed this one with readily-available ingredients that you can find in most liquor and grocery stores. To mix any proper drink, you need plenty of ice. Pre-chill your glass, so you can maintain the temperature of the drink, then mix your drink by stirring in a separate vessel over ice.
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| The Classic Martini |
2 oz. Aviation Gin
1 oz. Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
2 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Lemon twist
Stir liquid ingredients over large ice cubes until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the lemon over the glass to release essential oils and garnish.
The Taste
The drink should above all be cool, steely, and bracing in the mouth. The Aviation gin is clean and neutral, with notes of juniper, rosemary, and citrus. The flavor of the cocktail takes round botanical notes from the vermouth, and the bright twist of lemon. This drink is always a fitting end to a Monday workday.
Welcome to #martinimondays.
Next Week: The Vodka Question
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