1990s Recipes + Menus

Martini

April 1993
Why, you might well wonder, has it taken us 52 years of drinks recipes to get around to the world’s most iconic cocktail? We’ve said plenty about Martinis over the years, including an examination of the difference between American and European interpretations by the incomparable M.F.K. Fisher, but this recipe has the ratio of dry vermouth we like best (the key phrase, of course, is “or to taste”).

3 ounces (2 jiggers) gin.
1/2 teaspoon dry vermouth, or to taste
1 lemon twist or 1 pimiento-stuffed olive for garnish

In a small cocktail pitcher combine the gin, the vermouth, and 1 cup ice cubes, stir the mixture well, and strain it into a stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish the Martini with the lemon twist or the olive. Makes 1 drink.
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