21+ BEST Martini Recipes (Perfect for any Special Occasion!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a great martini? ›

Perfect Martini

Calls for 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, ½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes Angostura Bitters. Serve with a lemon twist.

The Most Popular Martini Flavor in the U.S.

Pineapple martinis are sweet, delicious, and straightforward, making them a popular choice among patrons all over the nation. All you need to make one of these martinis for yourself is pineapple juice, vodka, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

A halfsies martini, which is also known as a half and half martini, a perfect martini, a 50/50 martini or a 50/50 co*cktail, is a co*cktail that reduces the ABV content of a standard martini significantly by mixing equal parts of vodka or gin and vermouth.

In certain martini venues, the “two martini rule” is observed. Once you have consumed two, you must move on to a soft drink, such as wine or a gin and tonic.

When making a martini, one must use either one or three olives, basically only an odd number of olives. The cardinal rule follows that olives will not be used in even numbers because it spells bad luck. While the origins of this superstition are difficult to trace, it is a belief followed by bartenders without fuss.

Desert Martini or a Churchill Martini

No vermouth is used. This is essentially straight gin diluted with ice and garnished with either a lemon twist or olives.

How do you pour a C-note in a glass? Stoli Elit Vodka, Grand Marnier 150 and Courvoisier. Garnish with chutzpah. At a hundred bucks, be sure to ask for it shaken and stirred. The $100 martini is part of Lee Lewis' martini makeover at El Gaucho.

Best Overall: Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambery

“London dry-style gins need bigger, bolder vermouths,” he says. Kotsiras agrees. “If you're after a classic gin Martini with London dry gin, I'm always reaching for Dolin,” he says. “It's flavorful enough and plays a great supporting role while letting your gin shine.”

Instructions. Measure the apple brandy and grenadine into a co*cktail shaker. Add enough ice to cover the liquid and shake for 30 seconds to ensure the brandy and grenadine are very cold. Strain into a martini glass and top up the glass with chilled champagne or sparkling wine.

What is a twist in a martini? ›

But the phrase 'with a twist' specifies that you'd like a strip of citrus peel to be twisted across the top of your drink, releasing aromatic oils into the co*cktail. You can typically choose between orange, lemon and lime (pick carefully: the character of your gin determines which zest goes best).

Order your martini wet, dry, or extra dry.

These terms refer to the ratio of gin or vodka to vermouth. If you do not specify what you want, you will be served a martini with a standard ratio. A wet martini is a martini with extra vermouth. A dry martini refers to a martini with less vermouth in it.

Let's go back to the basics to learn this difference in co*cktails. The classic gin or vodka Martini omits the olive brine entirely. The Dirty Martini is where things start to get crazy: Bartenders add a quarter-ounce of olive brine to the co*cktail. Add more than that, and you're slipping into Filthy Martini territory.

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

A classic dirty martini can be made, depending on drinker's preference, with all gin or all vodka, but using half gin, half vodka — with some vermouth and brine — results in a drink that leans a bit fresher and cleaner.