Dry Martini
Ice-cold, clear and cuttingly elegant: gin and dry vermouth in perfect balance, finished with lemon oil.
Ingredients
- London Dry gin, cold, London Dry by preference75 ml
- Dry vermouth, fresh and fridge-cold15 ml
- Lemon, to garnish (optional)1 twist
- Orange bitters, for extra depth (optional)1 dash
Method
- Chill the martini glass, or fill it with iced water, while you prepare the drink.
- Fill a mixing glass with plenty of fresh ice.
- Pour the gin, dry vermouth and, if using, orange bitters over the ice.
- Stir calmly but thoroughly for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is ice-cold and lightly diluted.
- Strain into the cold glass.
- Twist the lemon peel over the drink to release its essential oils, and drop it into the glass to garnish.
About this drink
The martini has roots in the late nineteenth century and has since evolved from a sweeter, vermouth-heavy drink into the dry, gin-led classic we know today. The ratio of gin to vermouth has fuelled countless bar debates, from the classic 5:1 to the driest versions in which the vermouth merely rinses the glass. Whatever the ratio, the technique is sacred: stirred, not shaken, to keep the drink clear and silky.
