- 60 ml London Dry Gin e.g. Beefeater
- 10 ml Noilly Prat
Fill a Martini glass with ice. Measure the booze into a mixing glass with three cubes of ice. Gently stir with a barspoon for about 20 seconds then, after ditching the ice in the Martini glass, strain the booze in. Garnish with a single stoneless, green olive or twist a slither of lemon peel over the top and drop it in.
Such a simple a drink, yet it is so ingrained in culture. Over the course of the 20th century, the Martini became increasingly dry. Starting in the 1920s at a ratio of 2:1, gin to vermouth, 6:1 is now the norm. The ‘Montgomery’, named after the Field Marshal’s penchant for attacking only when in possession of great numerical superiority, is 15:1. Conversely a Wet Martini is made 50:50 and an upside-down Martini has more vermouth than gin.
‘Shaken, not stirred’? No thank you, Mr Bond. Shaking will make it colder but more dilute. The alcohol can become ‘bruised’ and cloudy, possibly with unwanted shards of ice.