(All) My thoughts on the Martini

I apologize that this didn't get posted on Nov. 23rd when it was written. I tried to backdate the post. I recognize that you probably don't care.

Okay so I know this is the "holiday season" and all, but let's get one thing straight.

A Martini is made of three and only three ingredients: a few ounces of gin, a splash of vermouth and an olive. These are mixed with ice and strained into a martini glass.

Perhaps this sounds obvious, until you inevitably hear someone say "Or it can be made with vodka instead of gin." No it can't. By definition, vodka is not involved in the equation at all. If you have made a drink mixing vodka and vermouth you have made what is very generously known as a "Vodka Martini." More accurately, you've made a vodka martini without an olive. In fact, you have removed everything from the ingredients except the splash of vermouth. This is like saying potato soup is the same as a cooked turkey because you add salt to both.

These days any drink mixed with ice and served in a conical glass is called a martini. Don't let yourself be one of the ignorant ones. Appreciate a martini for what it is, and refer to other drinks using proper nomenclature.

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Okay while we're on the subject, I have 2 other thoughts about martinis. First, I assume that the vermouth company "Martini & Rossi" had something to do with the development and/or popularization of the martini. That's really brilliant, because when buying vermouth I know I've bought their product just because it had the name of the drink on it. It's one of those canonical words, like a Kleenex (facial tissue), Xerox machine (photocopy machine), Band-Aid (adhesive bandage), et cetera. I've noticed that other alcohol companies are doing this now, notably Captain Morgan rum encouraging people to ask for a "Captain and Coke" instead of the traditional "rum and Coke." I do that anyway, just because I like Captain Morgan far more than other brands.

Secondly about martinis is the "shake/stir" debate. It's funny that people have heard Bond say "shaken, not stirred" so much that now that's the default (see the entrance of brand into canon, above). Supposedly if you shake gin, or even if you pour it directly on the ice in the shaker, it becomes "bruised" and the flavor is damaged. As much as I'm obviously willing to be snobby about my martini's, I don't know if I believe this.