Guide Note

A Martini is a popular cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth.

The traditional martini is made with five parts gin and one part vermouth, usually equating to 2¹/₂ ounces of gin and ¹/₂ ounce of vermouth, stirred and served in a chilled glass with an olive garnish.

Perhaps due in part to James Bond's trademark order of martinis "shaken, not stirred," martinis are now usually prepared by shaking the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, then straining the drink into a glass. Some purists argue that this method dulls the taste of the vermouth, while others claim that it enhances the taste of the gin.

Fast Facts

1. Less vermouth results in a drier martini
2. American in origin
3. Martinis made with vodka are now more popular than the classic gin martini
4. Famous martini drinkers: Winston Churchill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franklin D. Roosevelt and James Bond

Quotes

1. "A man must defend his home, his wife, his children and his Martini."—Jackie Gleason
2. "I never go jogging, it makes me spill my Martini."—George Burns