Our Best Martini Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the most popular martini? ›

1. Classic martini. One of the most famous co*cktails on menus around the globe, the classic martini has just two key ingredients. Choose between gin or vodka to pair with your vermouth.

Olive. Try a dirty martini. This is a simple classic martini with olive brine added to taste. The non-alcoholic brine can help take the edge off the alcohol and can be a very quick, easy and culturally appropriate way to lessen the strength of a martini whilst still very much looking and sounding the part.

In certain martini venues, the “two martini rule” is observed. Once you have consumed two, you must move on to a soft drink, such as wine or a gin and tonic.

Perfect Martini

Calls for 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, ½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes Angostura Bitters. Serve with a lemon twist.

Dry, Perfect, or Wet

The next step in constructing your perfect martini, is declaring the amount and what type of vermouth you want in your co*cktail. A classic martini, or a wet martini, is when you prefer an equal ratio of gin and dry vermouth.

Best Overall: Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambery

Made with a base of ugni blanc grapes and a minimum of 30 macerated botanicals, Dolin is available everywhere and one with which you can't really go wrong. “It's a default vermouth without overthinking,” says Doug Heiar, bar director at Momed Atwater Village in Los Angeles.

It's almost easier to make a bad dirty martini than it is to make a great one. Adding that touch of olive brine can make the co*cktail too salty or impart the stale, musty taste of olives bottled during the last century. Your dirty martini can also suffer from being the wrong temperature, too boozy, or out of balance.

If you want a martini with gin, just order a “martini”. Any bar worth its liquor license will make it with gin. But if you'd prefer vodka, make sure you specify a “vodka martini”. And don't listen to martini purists – there's absolutely nothing wrong with ordering a vodka-based martini, if that's what you prefer.

Dry White Wine

Because dry vermouth is a fortified white wine, it makes sense that you can use white wine as a dry vermouth substitute. Stick to dry whites versus sweet for best results.

What is a $100 martini? ›

Some occasions call for the ultimate indulgence. Presenting the $100 martini. Originally created at El Gaucho Tacoma, it is now only served here in Seattle. This exceptional libation features Beluga Gold Line Vodka, Hennessy Paradis Imperial Cognac, Grand Marnier 100, garnished with orange twist.

Martini co*cktails are often served with three olives, especially when ordering a Dirty Martini co*cktail. If you're the superstitious type, you may want to know that tradition states that serving olives in even numbers is bad luck.

Begin with a London dry-style gin. From there, add a little dry vermouth. The ratio is negotiable, but common formulas for a Dry Martini typically fall in the range of four-to-eight parts gin to one part vermouth. A dash of orange bitters ties the room together.

The martini is a co*cktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive and/or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A common variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka instead of gin for the co*cktail's base spirit.

So, which is better – a gin or vodka Martini? In the gin vs vodka Martini showdown, it comes down to personal preference. Gin Martinis have that distinct botanical, herbaceous flavour, while vodka Martinis are cleaner and more neutral.