Without a doubt, a true barometer of a bartender'



s skills and a person's taste is making a great

Martini! Martinis have really gained immense

popularity over the last decade. Everyone

remembers that James Bond loved his martinis, of

course they had to be "shaken, not stirred."

Making a classic dry martini is almost like

creating a very simple, yet very pure piece of

art. So, here it is, a step by step recipe for

creating the perfect dry martini.

You're going to need 11/2oz of dry gin. Don't

skimp on the quality, go for Beefeaters or

Tanqueray. Also, 1/2 oz of extra dry vermouth, a

toothpick, pimento stuffed olives, ice from

purified water, a cocktail shaker, and a martini

glass.Go ahead and fill the martini glass with

ice and water, this will chill the glass to

perfection while you mix the drink. Pour the gin

over ice in your cocktail shaker. Allow it to set

for a moment while you measure your vermouth.Go

ahead and add the vermouth to your shaker along

with a VERY tiny splash of olive juice. Cap off

your shaker and shake very vigorously. The key is

to shake it so long that your hands get super

cold.

Finally, empty all the water from your martini

glass, and wipe away all moisture droplets.Add

two olives skewered on a toothpick, and pour the

mixed drink into a glass. Sip it delicately and

enjoy!By the way,Shaking does have an advantage

over stirring. Shaking actually "bruises" the gin

and causes it to infuse with the vermouth.

Stirring, while effective, allows the spirits to

separate more easily in the glass.Use Jalapeno

stuffed olives instead of pimento and call it a "

Martinez" instead. It adds spice to the drink on

so many different levels.By the way, be sure to

use an authentic martini glass. A traditional

glass with a stem will cause your martini to warm

too quickly.

So, there you have it, the perfect martini. Once

you've enjoyed a martini that doesn't short-cut

the details, it's hard to drink one that is

hastily prepared. No excuses now that you've

tasted the difference!

Always remember to drink responsibly, and try to

enjoy your martini by itself. Very few foods

enhance the delicate balance of a great dry

martini!