6. Shaken, Not Stirred: Gentlemen Prefer The Martini
WHAT IT IS: A big honking glass of ice-cold gin.
Seriously.
Churchill famously said he liked his Martini full of gin and raised in the direction of France. Quotes about booze are the kind of thing that make Wikipedia editors get heart palpitations.
Regardless, modern tastes have drifted towards drier and drier martinis, which means a heck of a lot of gin.
HOW TO MAKE IT: Shaken vs stirred is the controversy here, and essentially, stirred will be prettier but not taste as good. Pick your side, and again, defend it passionately and with vigor.
In a shaker, combine gin with some vermouth. I like a ratio of about 3 parts gin to ¾ of a part vermouth, but try a few ratios until you decide what you like. Mix this with ice in your chosen method, and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. A fine tea strainer is handy to catch the ice chips. Garnish with either an olive or a twist of lemon.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: The great Martini debate is part of the joy of tending bar. Every single bartender in the world is certain that his or her Martini is the best, and the only correct version. I heartily welcome you to our fraternity, unless of course, you are defending Apple-tinis, in which case, you are fired.
