Name: Martini
Prep time: PT3 MinM
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Ingredients: 2.5 oz Gin; 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth; 1 dash Orange Bitters; Lemon Peel or Olives, for garnish

Everything You Need to Know About the Gin Martini

Let's be entirely clear: a Vodka Martini is an oxymoron, a polite euphemism for chilled alcohol with no soul. The Martini was born as a showcase for gin’s herbal, piney, and floral complexity, and treating it like a blank canvas is an insult to the craft. If you want a clean, botanical-forward drink that commands respect, you use a proper London Dry or a robust contemporary gin, pair it with crisp dry vermouth, and leave the vodka out of it entirely.

Martini

Prep Time3 Min

Yield1 Cocktail

Base SpiritGin

Ingredients

2.5 oz Gin
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
1 dash Orange Bitters
Lemon Peel or Olives, for garnish

The Gin Martini Is the Only Martini Worth Making

Instructions

Place a Martini glass in the freezer to chill thoroughly.
Combine the gin and dry vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice cubes.
Stir for 25 to 35 seconds to achieve optimal dilution and a silky, ice-cold texture.
Strain the liquid directly into your chilled glass.
Express the oils of the lemon peel over the surface of the drink, then drop it in—or garnish with a single Spanish olive for a traditional savory finish.

Pro Tip

Stirring instead of shaking is non-negotiable. Shaking introduces aeration which shatters the delicate aromatics and clouds the appearance. A proper martini should be crystal clear, velvety, and bracingly cold.

Martini Riff

Swap the lemon twist for half an ounce of olive brine. Known as the Dirty Martini, this savory variation features a rich, briny salinity that complements the gin’s botanicals without overpowering them.

The Gin Martini Is the Only Martini Worth Making

Everything You Need to Know About the Gin Martini