Martini

A classic dry martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, and olives or a lemon twist for garnish. It’s one of the most well-known cocktails and remains popular more than 100 years after its creation.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

• Gin: A distilled spirit flavored with juniper berries and, occasionally, other botanical herbs or spices. 
• Dry vermouth: A fortified wine (made from grapes) that is often pale and always bitter compared to red, sweet vermouth.

Step-by-step instructions

1. To a mixing glass filled with ice, add gin and vermouth. Using a bar spoon, stir until mixture is fully combined and well chilled, about 30-45 seconds.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with olives or a lemon twist.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
• Glassware: Martinis are traditionally made in a cocktail glass, also known as a martini glass.
• Big batch: Martinis are best prepared individually.
• Extra dry: Made with almost no dry vermouth at all.
• Dirty martini: Add a splash of olive brine to the mixing glass with the gin and garnish with an olive.
• Wet martini: Use equal amounts of gin and dry vermouth.
• Perfect martini: Use equal parts of dry and sweet vermouth.
• Vodka martini: Substitute vodka for the gin.
• Gibson cocktail: Garnish with cocktail onions instead of olives or a lemon twist.
• Vesper martini: Increase the vermouth to 1 ounce, add ½ ounce Lillet blanc with the 3 ounces of gin, and garnish with a lemon twist.
• Churchill martini: Omit the dry vermouth entirely and “should be prepared with gin straight from the freezer while glancing at a closed bottle of dry vermouth.”

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Martini

By Meggan Hill

A classic dry martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, and olives or a lemon twist for garnish. It's one of the most well-known cocktails and remains popular more than 100 years after its creation.

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Total Time 2 minutes mins

Servings 1 cocktail

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Calories 219

5 from 3 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 3 ounces gin (6 tablespoons, see note 1)
• ▢ 1/2 ounce dry vermouth (1 tablespoon, see note 2)
• ▢ 2 pitted, brine-cured olives or lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions 

• To a mixing glass filled with ice, add gin and vermouth. Using a bar spoon, stir until mixture is fully combined and well chilled, about 30-45 seconds.
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with olives or a lemon twist.

Notes

1. Gin: A distilled spirit flavored with juniper berries and, occasionally, other botanical herbs or spices. 
2. Dry vermouth: A fortified wine (made from grapes) that is often pale and always bitter compared to red, sweet vermouth.
3. Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
4. Glassware: Martinis are traditionally made in a cocktail glass, also known as a martini glass.
5. Big batch: Martinis are best prepared individually.
6. Extra dry: Made with almost no dry vermouth at all.
7. Dirty martini: Add a splash of olive brine to the mixing glass with the gin and garnish with an olive.
8. Wet martini: Use equal amounts of gin and dry vermouth.
9. Perfect martini: Use equal parts of dry and sweet vermouth.
10. Vodka martini: Substitute vodka for the gin.
11. Gibson cocktail: Garnish with cocktail onions instead of olives or a lemon twist.
12. Vesper martini: Increase the vermouth to 1 ounce, add ½ ounce Lillet blanc with the 3 ounces of gin, and garnish with a lemon twist.
13. Churchill martini: Omit the dry vermouth entirely and “should be prepared with gin straight from the freezer while glancing at a closed bottle of dry vermouth.”

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 125mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 31IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg

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