Ahh, the Cocktail Martini & Co. Dry, Dirty, Naked, Reverse. Let’s start from the “Co.”: it stands for “good company” and – at least in this case – for the assorted number of variations, just as well the lovely bunch to share a drink with.

Under the name “Martini” (which may have something to do with the brand of vermouth) the purists consider only two types of cocktails: the one with gin and the one with vodka, each version paired with some kind of vermouth… There are so many versions (and variations) of this cocktail, and counting.

It’s a classic drink, that’s been around for sometime now, still, since James Bond enjoyed on the big screen “shaken, not stirred”, has become an evergreen cocktail. To be served in the coupe Martini (including the Vesper from Casino Royal), I’m talking about sexy V coupe – the glass, of course.
Even sweaters are sexier when they have a V-neck, don’t you think? But this is another story.

“It does not matter in the least whether you shake a martini or stir it. It does matter if splinters of ice get into the cocktail glass, and I suppose this small seed of fact is what grew into the absurdity that we must not ‘bruise the gin’. The gin will take all you are capable of giving it, and so will the vermouth” (Bernard DeVoto, The Hour)

The content of this post is intended solely for an audience of legal drinking age. To be enjoyed with moderation.

The Martini Ways

What about the Martini ways? Regardless of Mr. Bond’s preferences, the options for a classic (or atypical) Dry Martini are:

• Method – the drink can be made either shaken or stirred, as well by pouring the frozen ingredients directly into equally cold glasses.
• Base – gin or vodka + white dry vermouth.
• Proportions – from 1:1 (alcohol – vermouth), up to 5:1 the mix is balanced as it’s interesting; up with alcohol, and it’s too much (but who knows).
  There is also the Reverse Martini with 1 part gin and 2 parts vermouth, equally delightful.
• Seasoning: a few drops of orange bitter or brine.
  • Abandoned for decades, this bitter, only recently came back, thanks to expert bartenders.
  • A dash of capers briny water is a savory addition for a luscious Dirty Martini.
• Decoration: a lemon twist per glass (untreated, pesticide-free peel – please) + few olives, or capers.

The recipe for our Dry Martini retains the elegant simplicity of the original, but I replaced the olives (which I can’t eat) with a brined preserved caper bud, a gratifying combination.

I think that whoever placed an olive in the first Martini had never tried the briny caper buds. It certainly doesn’t have the firm consistency of the olive, but it’s a flower waiting to bloom, crucial in the development of the subtle flavors that distinguishes it. Just check, proof is in the pudding.

In any case, as the saying goes “De gustibus non disputandum est” (one cannot argue about taste), precisely. Hence, everyone mixes the Martini they want.

Recipe for Naked Martini Cocktail

Here’s a very easy recipe for a satisfying Naked Martini Cocktail… Oh la la!

• Have you seen some sexy vessels, with long stems and V-shaped coupe (dishwasher safe, please )?
• Somewhere in your cupboard there are leftover liqueurs that could be used for a super simple cocktail?
• You don’t have the cool tools to fix yourself a well deserved mixed drinks?

No problem, from the series “Simpler they are, the more we like them” here is the Naked recipe. No no, it’s not about being “au naturel”, it’s called naked to express the quintessence, and simplicity, of the “direct” method, first mixed at the Dukes Hotel in London, few years ago. It consists of pouring the chilled ingredients – somehow dosed by the expert bartender’s eye – directly from the bottle into equally cold glasses.

“If you can’t fix it with duct tape or a martini, it’s not worth fixing”, I don’t know who said it, but I thought that it looks (and sounds) good here. So here it is!

Ingredients for 2

Proportion 2:1

• 2 parts gin (60 ml)
• 1 part vermouth (30 ml) [*] and
• 2 drops orange bitters (optional)
• 2 orange peel twist
• 2 caper buds (preserved in brine, NO vinegar please)

[*] the measure in ml may vary, depending on the size of the glass!

Tools and containers

• 1 frozen jigger, or an espresso coffee glass;
• 2 iced Martini glasses, to serve the drink.
• 2 toothpicks (medium length)

Directions

1. Take the glasses, the jigger and the alcohol from the freezer;
2. start by pouring the orange bitters directly into the glasses,
3. measure the vermouth into the jigger and – promptly – pour it into the glasses; do the same thing with gin.
4. Decorate each glass with an orange twist, that you first squeezed between your fingers just above the cocktail, and then rubbed on the edge of the glasses: the aroma is fantastic.
5. Add a caper bud, held by a toothpick, (it is easier to retrive).

Very important! Let the drink rest for about thirty seconds, before sipping it lazily.

“You must be unhurried but you must work fast, for a diluted martini would be a contradiction in terms, a violation of nature’s order. That is why the art requires so much ice and why the artist will never mix more that a single round at a time, counting noses.” (Bernard DeVoto, The Hour)

Martini: Notes, suggestions and variations on the theme

Besides talking about Martini & Co. Dry, Dirty, Naked, Reverse…, here are few more suggestions.

• For a gluten-free cocktail, use a London Dry type of gin.
• Substitutions – in the absence of orange bitters, you can use:
  • Cocchi Americano, the vermouth has a very pleasant bitter aftertaste, or
  • a couple of drops of Angostura bitter, or
  • wild orange essential oil, make sure it’s the edible type!
• You’re in the mood for a Dirty Martini?
  • Add a few drops of caper brine (directly into the glass, right after the orange bitter).
• Looking for a cocktail to pair with dessert?
  • Mix 1⁄2 part dry vermouth + 1⁄2 sweet vermouth, or
  • add just the tip of a teaspoon of icing sugar immediately after the angostura – then pour in the vermouth, etc.

It can’t be any easier.

Cheers and Happy Parties!

ockstyle

I’m an Italian gluten-free Gourmet Traveler+ and a passionate storyteller, writing in English and Italian. Fluently speaking (eating and dreaming) in Italian, English, French, and Russian. When I’m not writing, I cook and test recipes for special diets, and photograph (also on film). Not necessarily in that order. — / — Sono una viaggiatrice buongustaia (la Gourmet Traveler+) senza glutine, appassionata narratrice di storie. Scrivo in italiano e inglese, parlo (mangio e sogno) fluentemente in italiano, inglese, francese e russo. Quando non scrivo, cucino, testo ricette dolci e salate per diete speciali, fotografo (anche in pellicola). Non necessariamente in quest’ordine.