When I turned 21, I went to see a friend’s brother’s band in Sacramento. The band was The Mac Swanky Trio. I really enjoyed the show, and wheedled a CD out of my buddy. My reason for mentioning this evening, however, was that it was my first experience with that James Bond classic, the martini.
Now, I was not entirely inexperienced with booze by this time, but my primary experience had been with various beers, which are still my first loves when it comes to the world of adult beverages. However, a martini may have been more than a bit ambitious. I found it to be extremely harsh and darn near undrinkable. In addition, I don’t even know what kind of martini I got!
The reason I specified “gin martini” in the title of this post was because it helps to explain the ingredients I’m after. When you go to a bar and order a martini, there’s no telling what you’ll get. In some places you may get a vodka martini (more on vodka later), in some places, you may get some cold gin, with an imperceptible amount of vermouth. In some places, they may shake it rather than stir it. And in some places, you may get asked “what flavor?” …
Now, one often gets into trouble when one labels something as the “original” martini, so I will preface my statement with some weasel words. Many mixologists consider the quintessential martini to be 4 parts gin, 1 part vermouth, a dash of orange bitters, and garnished with a twist of lemon. This is my ideal martini, and the one I hope to make as soon as I get my hands on some orange bitters.
Gin – There are a great many types of gin out there, and much variance even among gins of the same type. Ask a mixologist what his favorite martini gin is, and you will get a number of answers equal to the number of mixologists you ask plus a few spare. My goal is to get a bottle of Plymouth gin to try someday, but what I have on my shelf at the moment (Many thanks to Mary Jo) is a bottle of New Amsterdam Gin. NA Gin is sweeter than most, and a mixologist once explained that the reason he was not fond of it was that he detected a corn syrup note that just turned him off to it. Another mixologist with whom I talk frequently told me he considered New Amsterdam Gin to be a good beginner’s gin, with Beefeaters or Plymouth being something to which one might aspire.
Gin is a spirit flavored with juniper berries, and along with sometimes strong citrus, pine and floral notes are the predominant flavor of a good gin.
Vermouth – Vermouth is what is known as a fortified wine. A fortified wine is a wine that has had some sort of high-alcohol spirit added to it to halt the fermentation process. This results in a wine that still has some of its unfermented sugars for sweetness, yet still has a decent bit of alcohol in it. Vermouth, also, has had a host of botanicals added to it to give it a good bit of non-wine flavors.
As for why the 4:1 martini, I’d have to say it’s a balance between the flavor profiles of the gin and vermouth, as well as a synergy created with the mix of the two. The sweetness of the vermouth balances perfectly the dryness of the gin. Whatever it is, a well-made martini is truly something to experience. The lemony-citrusy notes are refreshing, and the herbal goodness of the vermouth adds a touch that I would really miss otherwise.
Many of the mixologists with whom I have chatted don’t see the need for vodka simply because of what a good vodka is. Many will tell you that the best vodkas are odorless and flavorless, apart from the alcohol, and thus don’t bring any flavors to the party. Adding vodka simply gives more alcohol to a drink, and not flavor. Many contend that the same alcohol effect could be achieved by adding a spirit with flavor. However, that does not mean it’s not popular, and many drinks today are made with vodka.
For my part, I enjoy the flavor of gin, and feel that a vodka martini is really more of a chilled, high-alcohol vermouth, despite Ian Fleming’s attraction to them for his man character, Commander James Bond. In my opinion, one may enjoy whatever drink one likes, of course, but it is odd to me that the name “martini” has come to be associated with a drink that has none of the flavor originally associated with it. Now, if you enjoy some of these flavored martinis, a vodka martini has to be the way to go, since gin will definitely clash with some of the creations out there.
Finally, there is a reason many martini afficionados will insist that a proper martini be stirred, and not shaken. Shaking a drink breaks up the ice, and helps to dilute the drink; something one does not generally want with a martini. Shaking a drink also aerates the drink, creating a different taste and feel on the palate. Some say it bruises the gin, creating a bitter taste, but the mixologists from whom I have been culling much of this information have told me that they don’t get the whole “bruising the gin” argument.
The garnish of a lemon twist matches well with the citrus notes of the gin, and the sugars of the vermouth sweeten the tartness right up. The orange bitters help to enhance the lemon as well.
I currently lack the orange bitters I need to make one, but as soon as I get those, I’m in business.
