We’ve never tried blogging about booze, the hard stuff, the sauce, here before. So I’m going to give it a try.
First off, I don’t know much about hard alcohol. But I’ve been watching a lot of “Mad Men” and I’m fairly certain I will look more or less exactly like Roger Sterling when my hair turns white, so I decided to start drinking martinis a few months ago. I was heavily influenced by Fareed Zakaria’s piece on the subject, which recommends gin rather than vodka and wet rather than dry. I also use orange bitters (an excellent local product) in most of the ones I make, and olives in sum as well. I’ve been through three gins so far — Tanqueray, Plymouth, and Seneca Drums, made by Finger Lakes Distillers. I like Tanqueray a lot, respect the austerity of Plymouth (though I don’t like it that well), and am crazy for the Seneca Drums, which is made about 70 miles from where I live. It tastes a lot like Tanqueray only a bit more complex (there’s cardamom and some other spices in there as well as juniper) and smoother. Currently, I use the bitters and the olive in the Tanqueray and the Plymouth but just use a tiny bit of the olive brine (with no olive) in the Seneca Drums.
You guys seem like a martini-savvy crowd. What gins do you like? What vermouth? What proportion of gin-to-vermouth? Am I a philistine for adding both the orange bitters and the olive to my martini?
While I’m at it, what about the distillation process or the aging process makes something taste smooth? The Finger Lakes Distillery stuff all tastes smoother to me than larger distillers, but maybe that’s my imagination (though I don’t think it is). What would that be?
Update. I’m currently sipping Finger Lakes Distillers new rye, which is dangerously smooth. For Christmas, I usually give my uncles high-end bourbon, but the only I really like is the A. H. Hirsch, which is getting harder and harder to find. I can’t find any other bourbons that seem to get the same kind of crazy rave reviews that the Hirsch does, but some ryes do — specifically the Black Maple Hill and some of the special bottlings of Sazerac. Would a bourbon drinker like a rye? Are those kind of sweet or not? For whatever reason, this passage from All the King’s Men, the only really good book about politics I’ve ever read, really made me crave rye.
Tara the antisocial social worker
Chocolate martini: Godiva liqueur and gin, served in a chocolate-rimmed glass
DougJ
Chocolate martini: Godiva liqueur and gin, served in a chocolate-rimmed glass
I’m a man, you know.
DougJ
I say that although I do regularly drink a martini-like drink with St. Germain, sherry, and cloudberry liqueur in it.
valdivia
I am gin martini drinker–though I don’t indulge often. My favorite gin is a boutique production called Junipero, very spicy!
DougJ
My favorite gin is a boutique production called Junipero, very spicy!
I was actually going to ask specifically about that one. What’s it like?
Riggsveda
There is nothing in the same league as Hendrick’s. It’s still gin, but gin as it’s served in Heaven. With cucumber.
gwangung
If this doesn’t get to 200 posts by 9 pm EST, I’ll be very, very disappointed in BJers…
smileycreek
If you like Tanqueray gin, try their Rangpur variety (made with citrus). I like it with a tiny splash of triple sec and two olives.
Loneoak
I’ve been making a cucumber vodka lately, which is great in a martini with a touch of dry vermouth. I just buy the $10 bottles of Polish vodka from Trader Joe’s, pour it in a jar with a cucumber sliced thinly, and let it sit for a day before draining the vodka off back into the bottle.
The cucumber vodka also is the refreshingest summer drink when you mix it with lemonade. When I threw a couple house parties this summer I would put three bottles of vodka into one of those ice tea jugs with a spigot and let everyone have at it.
DougJ
I just buy the $10 bottles of Polish vodka from Trader Joe’s, pour it in a jar with a cucumber sliced thinly, and let it sit for a day before draining the vodka off back into the bottle.
I’ve been thinking of trying that out. I did some crazy infused vodka (cherry and gooseberry) a few years ago, but I think cucumber would better.
valdivia
@DougJ:
Kind of hard to describe DougJ–if you have ever smelled Juniper berries this gin is a little heavier on that kind of spice and scent. I would say it is stronger but with a smooth edge, very fresh. I really recommend it. I have some very fond memories of night over Junipero :-)
soonergrunt
LOL. Never had one in my life.
If I’ve ever had gin, it was in a gin and tonic. Otherwise it’s straight burbon for me.
CMcD
Tonight it’s Tanquery and Noilly Prat vermouth, at about 5:2, with a dash of Regan’s Orange Bitters.
But I’m a big fan of the Plymouth gin, though it is pricey.
amos
For a bargain, you can’t beat New Amsterdam. I think it’s about as good as Tanqueray, but at my local store it’s $15 for a 1/5 instead of $26. I like Bombay Sapphire if I’m spending more.
I haven’t experimented much with my vermouth. I just have a bottle of Martini & Rossi extra dry that I use. My mother’s recipe is 6:1, but I usually just add a splash of vermouth.
I use either a couple olives (no brine) or squeeze a little lemon juice in and add a twist.
(Long-time lurker, first-time poster!)
matt
What, is Bombay Saphire persona non grata now? Also, without gin, it’s not a martini at all.
DougJ
Tonight it’s Tanquery and Noilly Prat vermouth, at about 5:2, with a dash of Regan’s Orange Bitters.
Okay, that’s what I’m looking for, some ratios and some approval for adding orange bitters. I think they are a fantastic addition.
J.W. Hamner
I prefer Tanqueray, but Bombay has a large following. If you like botanicals then Ten and Sapphire are their respective uber botanical offerings.
The only vermouth worth having is Noilly Prat.
Also, invest in a martini pitcher… stir DO NOT shake. A shaken martini is for ignorant British agents only.
demkat620
Mango Martini.
Yummy.
DougJ
What, is Bombay Saphire persona non grata now?
They got a hotel by the water and a quart of Bombay Gin, the road goes on forever and the party never ends.
bystander
Bombay Sapphire gin and Martini & Rossi dry vermouth are my favorites. I add 2 green olives and just a taste (tip of a teaspoon) of olive juice. Shake, not stir, over ice. Serve straight up.
valdivia
@matt:
This. I like Bombay Saphire a lot. And yes a Martini has to have gin.
Mudge
Cornell in the Finger Lakes (Ithaca of course) is the rumored origin of Old Frick, a lab alcohol brew favored by chemists. Absolute alcohol is flavored with juniper, then heated/diluted to taste. Powerful, tasty stuff.
There’s a Finger Lakes history with gin.
John O
@gwangung:
I had the same thought, gwangun. Funny.
Rum and Diet Coke almost exclusively for me these days. I just seem to tolerate it the best physically (I’m allergic to wine, which seems quite the bummer; beer just kills me the next day, even just a few), and in general don’t care what kind of rum (though I don’t drink spiced) but I am kinda fussy about the Diet Coke part.
smiley
There was a time in my life when I thought gin and Fresca was tasty. I’ve never had a martini; gin, vodka, chocolate, apple, whatever. If it’s not a beer, a glass of decent wine, or something that requires more than a splash of water, or one ice cube, at most, then I’m just not interested.
anie
Bulldog is also an excellent gin. I am, myself, a gin martini drinker, although I like it with a twist of lemon rather than olive. I will try the bitters which sound like a nice addition.
I think the cucumber vodka may be a stroke of genius. I’ll try that too…
CMcD
They got a hotel by the water and a quart of Bombay Gin, the road goes on forever and the party never ends.
It would be easy to google it, but it’s more fun to guess: Warren Zevon?
Max
For those in the Bay Area, St. George Spirits / Hanger One Vodka has a tasting room on the old Naval Base in Alameda.
For like $10 you go thru a 12 step flight, that includes a great vodka sampling, and a good single-malt. For an additional $5, you can add in absenthe.
I do like Makers Mark. And now that it’s getting cold, you can’t go wrong with Hot Buttered Rum.
DougJ
It would be easy to google it, but it’s more fun to guess: Warren Zevon?
Robert Earl Keen. It’s truly a great song.
damn good mr. jam
With a twist. And the Plymouth is worth it.
SFAW
Gin? Tanq or Beefeater’s or Bombay or any non-boutique.
Wet or dry? Dry. Wet ain’t a real martini.
Vermouth? Whatever picture is in a nearby magazine.
(The vermouth comment comes from the idea that for a really dry martini, pour gin into the appropriate glass, add olive if desired, then drink it while looking at a picture of a bottle of vermouth. An alternative method is to whisper the word “vermouth” over the glass before you drink it.)
Chocolate martini? WTF? What’s next – sangria made with 1832 Lafite Rothschild? 30-year-old Laphroaig with Diet Sprite? I get the shakes – and not the withdrawal kind – just thinking about it.
Tara the antisocial social worker
More for me, then.
valdivia
And not to make DougJ blush–but if you look like Roger Sterling, well, ahem, why did we not know that before?
+1
Tx Expat
@DougJ:
Here’s a tip from a long time bartender:
Definitely invest in a martini pitcher, but don’t mix your vermouth or bitters in with the liquor. Instead, get a martini glass, fill it with a bit of ice, 1/8 oz of vermouth and a dash of bitters. Swirl it around the glass, then toss it and strain the gin into the glass. Idea here is to chill the glass meanwhile coating it w/the vermouth/bitters. The alcohol will then be infused, not drowned, by the vermouth/bitters.
I’m intrigued by the addition of bitters, I only ever used bitters in old-fashioned, but it sounds like a good addition.
Personally, I’m not a bit ‘tini fan. I like single malt scotch on the rocks. My favorite right now is Oban – oaky but not peaty. Of course I can’t afford that at the moment (damn law school poverty) so I’ll be drinking Jameson’s over ice this evening.
Cheers!
SFAW
Maybe you’ve had too many chocolate martinis to notice? Or care?
CMcD
DougJ,
iTunes has about 10 version of The Road Goes On Forever… which one should I get? Thanks!
andy
Hmm- had Junipero- a little too Juniper-y for my taste. It’s kind of like a west coast IPA that way. Try Aviation or Hendricks gin- they dial back the juniper and throw some other stuff at you. And instead of a plain old Martini, why not try a Vesper, made with Lillet? Try it with and without the vodka.
Pavlov's Dog
Doug – Myself, Brother, SIL, and a friend are all nightly Gin & Tonic drinkers. We all started with Tanqueray, but all have switched to Booths. It’s about half the price, a little drier, and doesn’t have the fruity taste of Tanqueray. We were talking recently – All of us had bought some Tanqueray as a treat recently, and all agreed we prefer Booths as the Tanqueray just seems sweet compared to Booths. Plus, gin is a fairly clean drink in the sense of less hangover than other drinks mixed with Coke or juices (the sugar effect). Only problem is small liquor stores usually don’t carry it.
DougJ
iTunes has about 10 version of The Road Goes On Forever… which one should I get?
It can be a bit long so I don’t recommend the live versions — Robert Earl Keen’s original studio version is good and the Highwaymen’s version is good. I think for a first listening the Highwaymen is best.
valdivia
@andy:
isn’t the vesper from that Bond movie or am I showing my hard alcohol ignorance?
JR
I enjoy a dry Hendrick’s martini, but the cucumber thing isn’t high on my list. I usually use two or three onion-stuffed olives.
The other thing I tend to enjoy is a Ketel One martini with a lemon twist–slightly more vermouth with the vodka.
But since you seem to groove on the rye, may I suggest giving Manhattans a try? Also, a Rob Roy is a fine beverage in proper settings.
twiffer
first off, anything that is not made with gin and vermouth ONLY is not a martini. they are cocktails in a martini glass. i like a dry martini, no more than half a capful of vermouth. as for the gin, bombay sapphire is usual, but my preference is a gin called bluecoat. it’s an american gin, but it is fucking fantastic. dangerously smooth and very tasty.
i usualy stick with whisky though. for scotch: lagavulin or caol ila (18yr), laphroig when i’m in the proper mood; talisker and oban are also good. irish, i go for redbreast, connemara or 12yr old jamesons. i’ll not refuse regular jamesons though. tullamore dew is good to, but i’m not fond of bushmills at all. bourbons i like knob creek and makers mark.
Tx Expat
@SFAW:
This comment makes me laugh. I used to have customers that tried to order the 30 year old scotch w/coke thing (shudder) – emphasis on the tried. My standard response was to serve them the scotch over ice (which is a horrible waste of 30 year old scotch, but hey compromise, right?). At that point they could order the coke from someone else, I can’t be a party to that travesty.
And yes I was called the “drink nazi” but somehow managed to make money despite of it. ;-)
Chris Dowd
When I did drink years ago- I enjoyed vodka martinis and usually insisted on it being Stolichnaya rather than one of the “hip” and outrageously overpriced vodkas of the moment.
I do miss drinking on occasion but then I look around at my drinking contemporaries and don’t miss it at all. The booze has worse and worse effects on you as you get older.
And despite all the malarky about how “good” it is for you (who do you think pushes that lie?) Booze is a noxious slow killing poison that lowers the quality (and quantity) of your life as you age.
But on the other hand- it is a social lubricant and I did have some great times drinking in my youth.
phred
Lurker, but martini fan.
1. Comment 13 is exactly right. No gin, no martini. ‘Vodka martini’ is a category mistake.
2. I like many gins; I think that brand loyalty is overrated. Switching now and then makes one notice differences.
3. That said, I love Plymouth, Sapphire, Boodle’s, and Beefeater. Tanquery is good, too. i am not picky about Vermouth.
3. Key points in making:
(a) place small martini glass in freezer until frozen through (big glasses require big martinis, which require drinking too fast or too warm, much better to drink multiple small ones)
(b) put a lot of very solidly frozen ice cubes (not crushed, not watery) in a pitcher or shaker. Pour gin and vermouth in at ration of 3:1. Stir or shake. Shaking makes it cloudy for a brief bit, which is a negative, but it makes it colder and adds very appealing ice shards on top. Let sit a moment while,
(c) you place 2-3 olives in each frozen glass,
(d) re-shake/stir
(e) pour into frozen glass.
(f) drink
(g) bliss.
Wag
I too am a gin lover, but not a martini. Hendricks is my favorite gin. The rose petels are a soft note that makes my day. Maybe I’ll try a martini w Hendricks tonight. What do you think, 5:2 ratio?
My holiday drink is a gin and tonic w/ Saphire, and substituting a slice of clementine for the lime. The sweetness and winter citrus are perfect.
DougJ
But since you seem to groove on the rye, may I suggest giving Manhattans a try?
Yes, I like those, but I like sazeracs better. Delicious drink when made right. They are usually too sweet.
JR
By the by, the best book on politics I’ve ever read, hands-down, is Tip O’Neill’s memoir, Man of the House. Great read.
j
Count me in as a big Plymouth fan as well.
Whatever you do, avoid Bombay Sapphire.
ms. denver
yes, hendricks is so good it makes the baby jeebus cry. and as a denverite, i’ll put a plug in for leopold bros gin.
if there is no hendricks available, i seriously rather drink gordons. a gordons gin & tonic is happiness. or beefeater. bombay & tanqueray are just lies.
twiffer
@Riggsveda: hendricks makes a decent martini, but for fuck’s sake DO NOT make a gin & tonic with it.
WereBear
Gin. That’s what my friends ply me with when they want to tell stories about me the next day.
Cat Lady
The Boston Globe recently had an article about the drink of San Francisco being Fernet-Branca with different mixers – Coke (yuck), Ginger Ale (yes). It’s an Italian bitters that’s described as non-sweet Jagermeister – medicinal, but not entirely unpleasant.
It is all that and more. It’s dark and mysterious with essences of things that are good for you. It’ll get you through the darkness.
CMcD
DougJ,
Thanks, downloading it now!
Mike in NC
Some wise man once said, “Life is too short to drink cheap booze”. We do vodka martinis with Grey Goose, Skye, or Iceberg. A dash of dry vermouth, two olives, some brine. Shaken, not stirred.
twiffer
@Tx Expat: it pains me to even think of such a travesty.
Matthew Dessem
Bombay Sapphire for everyday drinking, Old Raj on special occasions. Tanqueray never did much for me. Chill the hell out of the glass (fill it with ice and water while you get everything else ready), empty out the ice water, pour a little vermouth in and swirl to coat, then dump except for a couple of drops, add an olive (I like feta stuffed fresh olives), shake the gin, strain into the glass. If you can find older, smaller martini glasses, they ensure that your martini will always be cold. If all you have are giant new glasses, drink quickly. That’s what I do, anyway.
SFAW
Tx Expat –
Bless you for not letting them commit a crime against humanity such as that.
My palate is, unfortunately, not refined enough to distinguish between, let’s say, Oban and Macallan. (I would hope I could distinguish between Oban/Laphroaig and Johnnie Walker Red, but I ain’t guaranteeing it.) But it sounds like I’d have a good time getting educated by you re: the finer points.
And there’s nothing wrong with Jameson’s, although I appreciate your sentiments.
twiffer
@Matthew Dessem: you reminded me that citrus stuffed olives are fantastic in a martini as well.
Tx Expat
@twiffer:
You and I are on the same page except I don’t like bourbon, it’s too sweet for me. I got an 18 year old Jameson’s for my birthday, but haven’t tried it yet. Given my druthers, I spend my money on expensive scotch. Maybe I’ll give it a whirl tonight, though, and give a review.
Linkmeister
@CMcD: I’ve never heard of it either, so I did Google it; here’s the CD from which it comes. Looks interesting.
scarshapedstar
@bystander:
“Bombay Sapphire gin and Martini & Rossi dry vermouth are my favorites. I add 2 green olives and just a taste (tip of a teaspoon) of olive juice. Shake, not stir, over ice. Serve straight up.”
I have nothing to add.
DarrenG
Yes, most serious bourbon drinkers will enjoy the ryes you mention. I know I do.
For other bourbon choices, you almost can’t go wrong with any of the single-barrels from Sazerac/Buffalo Trace these days. Van Winkle Lot B, W.L. Weller Reserve, Eagle Rare, etc. All very, very good whiskies.
Joe Max
Noilly Prat is the best vermouth I’ve had, but I prefer Bombay gin. Blue Sapphire makes an excellent “flavored” martini.
Has anyone mentioned the proportions? My recipe for the dry martini is pouring the vermouth on the ice, stirring, pouring out the vermouth, then adding the gin. The right amount of vermouth is what sticks to the ice. Yeah, I like ’em dry…
JK
Try reading these books –
Why They Call it Politics: A Guide to America’s Government by Robert Sherrill
The Dance of Legislation by Eric Redman
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track by Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein
tom
I’ve always been partial to Beefeaters gin though I’ve also always suspected that if you put Beefeaters, Tanguaray, and Bombay Saphire in three identical drinks I would not be able to tell the difference. I like red wine now and apparently have the palate of a monkey because I’ve been sampling red wines for years now and I can’t taste what the experts taste in them.
Josh Huaco
I’m sick as a dog today and have been medicating myself with rye…It’s Jim Beam rye, but rye nonetheless.
fat mort jellyroll
Bombay sapphire, rince the glass with vermouth, just a touch of olive juice for the salt. The drink that says summer to me is a cucumber gin and tonic or my personal invention the Flice Water. Gin and strawberry soda. Sounds ghetto but goes down so well on a balmy kansas evening.
fat mort jellyroll
and as for rye, I stick with Old Overholt. Its cheap and some batches are smoother than others, but it is one of the only ryes that have been being made since before prohibition.
Litlebritdifrnt
I have only ever had one real Martini and that was in the Bali Sol Hotel in Nusa Dua Bali. I was bombed within the hour. For a cocktail I really prefer a Bloody Mary, best one I EVER had was in the piano bar of a rooftop restaurant in Hong Kong… perfect. Now when I go out I occasionally order one but you know after I went to Outback and had one after dinner and they put a fucking limp green bean in it instead of a stick of celery I about lost all my will to live. I mean A FUCKING GREEN BEAN IN A BLOODY MARY? WTF? I have also had a Singapore Sling in the Writers Bar in Raffles in Singapore. I add that because I can.
Tx Expat
@Joe Max:
See my comment upthread. When I was working, I never stirred the ice mixture, I got to a point where I could swirl the vermouth and ice without losing any of it meanwhile thoroughly coating the glass. It’s all in the wrist motion (which makes me sound like a hooker) but is one of the better tricks I picked up in my years behind the stick.
Intended double-entendre.
TX Expat + 5
RedKitten
No kidding. Roger Sterling is seriously foxy.
My recipe for martinis is just whatever gin we have in the house (right now, it’s Quintessential, but usually it’s Bombay Sapphire). Pour vermouth in the glass, swirl it around, pour it out. Pour gin over ice in shaker, but don’t shake it…just gently swirl it around. Pour it into glass, garnish with three olives. That’s how I make them for my husband, anyway — I actually loathe olives, so if I’m going to drink gin, it’ll be in a gin and tonic.
valdivia
@RedKitten:
I like Don in Mad Men, but Roger is very very foxy indeed.
mb
First of all, I’m deeply disappointed to find a post here about some disgusting man-made pool of fetid pollution that contains “bitters”. And you even have the gall, the gall, the… hubris, the daytime-tv-watching-mouth-breathing-trailer-park-dwelling-young-republican-joining brand of self-assured nervy ignorance to call it a Martini.
Every drinker of more than base breeding knows a Martini contains gin, a very limited number of vermouth molecules, and an olive. One olive. No one who makes a Martini otherwise is a credible or truly moral person in any way. We (and I mean “we” in a way you will never, never understand) know this from birth.
Remember what excommunication is to the papists? Yes, you do.
For clarity, if, to cite just one example, you make a “martini” with a pickled onion rather than an olive (sometimes called a “gibson” as a transparent attempt to legitimize it), you will be summarily disposed of by way of excommunication. You have not made a Martini, you have merely made a distasteful variety of onion soup. You are one step way from the benighted soul who would make an “appletini”. You are to be excommunicated from the true drinking class.
This is but one example. There are many. I warn you, don’t even get me started on lemon peel, if for no other reason than respect for Susan Sarandon,
Really. Don’t get me started on lemon peel.
SiubhanDuinne
I’ve never been able to tolerate gin, but a martini connoisseur from my past used to insist on Booth’s House of Lords gin. Personally, I have no idea whether it’s one of the finest gins around or just one step up from cat piss, but I thought I’d mention it.
Tx Expat
@SFAW:
I’m gonna do an internet diagnosis here: you could definitely differentiate between JW Red, MacAllan, and Laphroaig.
I like MacAllan, especially the 25 year old. I happened to have an opportunity to pick up two bottles of it at a Rite-Aid. Yes, I said Rite-Aid (LA is grand!). They had it on a sale cart for $15 a piece and dusty as hell. It was at that moment that I knew that there was a God and he/she wanted me to be happy. ;-)
RedKitten
That’s just gross. I’ve seen people do that with Bloody Ceasars as well, and it’s just so wrong. It’s celery that’s needed — a nice crunchy stalk of celery, to which all of the yummy, tomato-y, boozy goodness can cling.
Comrade Mary
Jesus H. Christ on a pogostick. Doug, with all due respect, it’s not just Fareed who recommends gin for a martini. If it ain’t gin, it ain’t a martini. It may be a perfectly tasty drink, but not a martini.
Bombay Sapphire is lovely and not too expensive for everyday use. If you’re splashing in a fair amount of vermouth, going for a more expensive gin would be wasteful, really.
Some associated drinks to consider:
1) A Pimm’s cup, made with Pimms No.1, a bittersweet gin-based herb-infused drink, is amazing in the summer.
2) Dubonnet is similar to vermouth, but with herbs and quinine for some lovely bitterness to balance its weight and sweetness. Drink this any time. The red is especially pleasing straight up or on the rocks.
And for those days when you feel like a queen, mix Dubonnet and gin. Liz loves it, but I find it too oddly sweet against gin. I think it’s best on its own.
CMcD
@valdivia:
In a word: Joan
Comrade Mary
@WereBear: Ha! You and me both, sweetie. I still remember the night I went out with friends, got all nostalgic with some 50 to start with (it was the beer served out to us on a high school trip and the first beer I ever learned to like), and followed up with some gin a friend had brought into the bar in a water bottle. That was one damn cold December night, but it sure didn’t feel like it …
Tom Betz
As for rye, you can’t hardly beat Tuthilltown Spirits’ Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey for sipping, unless maybe you’ve gotten hold of their harder-to-find Government Warning Rye. Both are a bit pricey, but their pleasure is worth the price. Some folks even pollute them with other substances…
I am also particularly fond of Fee Brothers’ Cherry Bitters in my home made seltzer, no liquor needed.
valdivia
@CMcD:
I am a girl but yeah I love Joan. Not just that she is beautiful but she totally rocks. I was so happy they brought her back in no?
Chasm
Chasm’s Perfect Martini:
Chill Martini Glass well, then swirl 1/2 oz Cointreau around inside, discard excess (use Triple Sec or Curacao as sub)
Use 3-to-1 Gin (Sapphire is great, but I also like Plymouth and Gordons) to Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth.
Purists say stir, I often Shake over ice to get it extra cold and to dilute a bit.
Option: 2 shakes Fee Brothers Orange Bitters – not really necessary if you use Cointreau/Triple Sec/Curacao
2 stuffed martini olives floating on the bottom. Mmmm, gin soaked olives.
What a great idea…
RedKitten
@Comrade Mary: Wow, Dubbonet. That’s a blast from the past. I remember my mom and her friends were big fans of it back in the ’70’s. :)
Chris H
If you’re looking into Bourbon, there’s a great distillery in New York state called Tuthilltown Spirits. They have a nice little bourbon called Hudson Baby Bourbon. I also second the Buffalo Trace recommendation.
For those in the PacNW, anyone else had the opportunity to drink Dry Fly vodka? I have an unopened bottle of that and an unopened bottle of Portland 88 from the New Deal distillery and wondering which one to use in a Gimlet tonight.
Kewalo
I was surprised to read all these posts and no one mentioned a wonder gin…Boodles. It’s from the UK and has a clean, smooth flavor and not too heavy on the juniper. I was turned on to it many years ago when I was reading John D. MacDonald and Travis McGee preferred it. I’ve been drinking it ever since. With a drop or two of Martini & Rossie and a lemon twist and I am a happy camper. I prefer them served up, but so many bartenders don’t really chill their glasses anymore I don’t bother ordering them up when I’m out. I save that when I’m drinking at home.
Also, some might like a “dirty” martini. That is using bourbon instead of the vermouth. I’ve never had a martini with bitters but it sounds like it might be pretty good.
And the absolute best summer drink is Meyers Run Collins. It is head and shoulder above any other drink. Gads, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I just love to drink but don’t do much of it anymore and I miss it.
parksideq
Since my dad gets orange bitters in his martinis all the time, I see that as being very old-school.
My personal martini: extra dry Bombay or Tanqy, whichever’s closer to arm’s reach. Essentially, gin and an olive in a glass. Hey, I gotta be more hardcore than the old man in some fashion.
RedKitten
@valdivia: Joan rocks. And I would give 5 years of my life to have Christina Hendricks’ figure, thankyouverymuch.
jl
I thought a hard likker barbarian’s viewpoint might be interesting. All distilled liquor tastes ghastly to me, a taste so bad that I imagine it is what a mixture of kerosene, gutter water and that green shit Lily likes to roll in would taste like.
So, if I can taste the stuff it is no good, except when I can’t taste it that means it is vodka and that is worse. I stick to iced sissy drinks with fruit juice in them. Pina Colada, Screwdriver, or a Bloody Mary, etc. I can always detect the taint of the hard likker in them, even when they are iced sugared and juiced up up beyond reason. If I have half a dozen drinks like that in a year, I fancy that I am becoming quite the connoisseur and all around racy sophisticated guy.
Beer wine and cider are OK. Liqueurs are OK if you put them coffee, or in a very vary small glass, so the hard booze doesn’t totally wreck the flavor.
As for very high priced things like ‘fine’ single malt whiskeys and brandy, I figure maybe you can make it into a hard sauce for a cake, or flambé some dish with it and put it to some kind of good use. Or maybe an alternative fuel.
Jim Kakalios
Only gin martinis – Tanq and Martini and Rossi dry vermouth. A large martini glass – kept in the freezer for at least 30 min prior. The cocktail should nearly form a thin layer of ice when poured into the glass. 4 shots gin to 1/2 of vermouth – and a thin lemon wedge – not olives (though lately I’ve been trying olives when I was out of lemons and they are not as bad as I remembered).
For Manhattans – I know you did not ask – Makers Mark bourbon (two shots), one of M & R sweet vermouth and a dash of bitter. Here’s the important part – shake them all together in a shaker filled with crushed ice, and pour with ice into low ball glass. Top with maraschino cherry.
You’re welcome.
Pennypacker
To add to the others: Bombay Sapphire. I like a splash of the olive brine in mine.
Steve
I enjoy martinis, but I love a good Manhattan. Maker’s Mark, a very, very small amount of sweet vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters. Something about this time of year (Thanksgiving day especially) makes me crave them like no other.
CMcD
@valdivia:
Yes, definitely glad she’s back. She’s very savvy, and the Peggy/Joan contrast is as interesting to me as the Peggy/Roger relationship. Now if they can just figure out a way to bring back Sal…
R-Jud
@Comrade Mary:
Pimm’s No. 3 is a great winter drink, especially if you make a hot punch.
This is as close as I get nowadays, after being violently ill on my 21st birthday thanks to someone’s experimental moonshine (see Mudge’s comment at #20– it wasn’t Old Frick, it was some nastier South Hill stuff. I’m getting sick just thinking about it.)
Steve
Oh, and any martini you make will be improved by the addition of Roquefort stuffed green olives.
eemom
@RedKitten:
Mmmm, what a tasty image. CRUNCH.
I’m a devout wine drinker but I do loves me one of them Bloodies.
and as for DuBonnet, I have a bottle of it in my basement fridge even as we speak. Who else can claim THAT?
MikeJ
The person above who said Noilly Pratt is the only vermouth has never had Vya. I’ll drink Vya straight, sweet or dry.
Even with Old Overholt for the rye, Vya red vermouth makes the best Manhattan you’ve ever had. Step up to a better rye, (R(long)i brand perhaps?) get a better Manhattan.
ed is the standard editor. Vya is the standard vermouth.
valdivia
@RedKitten:
me too! me too! funny that she is one of the only women on tv who is curvy in that way.
One last mad men comment–I want to slap Bets. She annoys me.
R-Jud
@R-Jud: Gah! “…as close as I get to hard liquor” is what that should say. Ye gods, I’m knackered.
Thadeus Horne
@Max: MMMMM..Maker’s Mark!
skippy
personally, i’m a friend of bill w.
JGabriel
Shouldn’t a martinin thread have some kitschy martini music? Like Combustible Edison?
.
CMcD
…and the Senate just approved HC bill for debate.
Chasm
@Steve
Totally agree, Manhattans are among the best winter drinks. Try one with Knob Creek. Mmm.
Chat Noir
@CMcD: Geek that I yam, I was watching it on CSPAN’s website. I despise every last Rethuglican. The vote was 60-39. Not sure who’s was the missing vote.
Wag
Side by side martini tasting:
Hendricks has a muted floral quality that while nice, doesn’t grab me the way a G+T with Hendricks does. Frankly it tastes flat. Just as adding water to a good wiskey can open the flavor profile, I think the same may be true of a Hendricks martini.
Saphire in a Martini is more open and brighter. The citrus really shines and contrasts nicely with the olive juice.
Now on to a side by side G+T ….
Martin
Never tried? Um: https://balloon-juice.com/?p=10174
Put me down for Plymouth. No mention of Citadelle? Shame, that. Never cared much for Bombay or Tanq, but I’m more of a G&T than martini fan anyway.
For the Plymouth drinkers, 1-2x per year Bevmo will have it on sale for about $17/750ml. Buy a shitload.
Comrade Mary
@RedKitten: Hmmph! I’m only a decade older than you, missy, so watch those kitten’s claws :P Anyway, I was a seriously underage drinker, too.
CMcD
@Chat Noir:
Me too, watching CSPAN2. The call-in segment going on now is yer basic comedy of errors! Turn your TV’s down people!
Wag
…and I agree wholeheartedly on the Pimm’s Cup for summer!
Wag +2
javafascist
I enjoy Sapphire quite a bit. However if you have allergies, the hangover from it can be brutal I’ve observed. Hendricks is brilliant. I like Quintessential too although it is very light, almost more vodka than gin.
Also I’m more partial to a gibson than a martini but any cold gin drink in a pinch!
Snail Darter
Gin And Tonic = Pine Needles
Linda Ronstadt and Bobby Darin – Long Long Time
Fergus Wooster
Sazerac Rye is affordable and surprisingly good. Better than Beam, IMHO.
Perfect for Ye Olde Sazerac Cocktail (requires Absinthe as well).
Martin
@Snail Darter:
Bad gin in a G+T = Pine Sol.
Try it with good gin sometime, though.
Tom Hilton
@matt: Amen. “Vodka Martini” is a contradiction in terms.
And Sapphire is my usual gin, although I also like Ten and Hendricks.
Keith G
Haven’t read the previous entries – just home from work, cooking for strangers.
Vodka – Turi: Made in Estonia and will spoil you. $60-$80
Tequila – Buscadores: A sipping tequila, savor the rich oaky taste. $60
Whiskey (or what most yanks call scotch) – Highland Park: The best premium single malt a working stiff can probably afford to buy. $60
Cognac – Grand Marnier: The best late night sip.
That is how my cabinet is usually stocked along with a few “filler” items.
Now I”ll read the previous 100 comments.
agorabum
Martini:
Bombay Saphirre, dry vermouth, dash of orange bitters.
So you’re right on with that.
The truly old school way to make them is almost at 1/2 and 1/2. Not the modern way of just swirling the glass with vermouth and tossing it out; that’s just chilled gin in a martini glass. So don’t be afraid to be aggressive with the vermouth.
Rye: Rittenhouse is pretty good, as is Sazerac.
For the best Rye Manhattan, cut the sweet vermouth in half and instead replace the other half with some sweet port. Garnish with cherries. Best manhattan you’ll ever have.
Roza
no martinis, but will get best high end vodka available, double shot, plenty of ice, splash of lemon, stir, side of water, sip, enjoy
don’t like gin but it will make me grin
worriedman
@Kewalo: Hell yeah! I tried Boodles after reading Travis McGee – on the rocks, the rim of the glass rubbed with lime. Perfect Summer evening drink.
Should have gone all in and went for the houseboat, endless sun and life of dangerous leisure in Lauderdale as well.
c u n d gulag
I was a bartender for a good chunk of my life. If my leg hadn’t gone bad, I’d still be one at age 51.
For a gin martini, Bombay Sapphire – wet, dirty, with extra olives – AND a twist of lemon = ORGASM!
For bourbon, Makers Mark is good, but, if you can afford it, a Bookers manhattan, with extra bitters and maraschino AND not too sweet preserved cherries, and their juices, is also AWESOME! Muddle in some oranges, and you have a great Old Fashioned, from what I remember.
Enjoy.
eemom
@CMcD:
yes, and hallefuckinlujah for that — sad as it is that we live in country where getting the lawmakers to agree to DEBATE something is a big fucking deal.
Maybe I oughtta try the hard stuff after all…….
Chasm
Ok, since we’re on to summer drinks, here is a BBQ fav. It takes a bit of prep, but if you make the mix the day before, it whips up for company in seconds:
BACK PORCH LEMONADE
(from “Art of the Bar” by Hollinger and Schwartz)
Ginger Syrup:
2 oz ginger
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teasp whole black peppercorns
Combine in saucepan over med heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, simmer for 30-40 minutes until “gingery.” Let cool and strain into a bottle. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Back Porch Pre-Mix:
1 1/2 cup Ginger Syrup (above)
1 1/2 cup Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
1 3/4 cup Cranberry Juice
Use a funnel to combine above into a bottle. Cap and Shake. Refrigerate.
Back Porch Lemonade:
2 oz Back Porch Pre-Mix (above)
2 oz Citron Vodka
Ginger ale to Fill over Ice
Lemon Wedge garnish
Goes together quickly to serve to friends: Just add equal parts pre-mix and vodka over ice and add ginger ale. Perfect.
ivanski
Agree with the Hendrick’s fans. Nothing quite like it for either a Martini (try muddling a slice or two of cucumber in the shaker before throwing in the ice; olives will overpower the flavors on this one) or a G&T (though you need better tonic water for this – and less of it; it’s easy to overpower it and at that point you might as well go with a lesser spirit).
If you’re feeling adventurous, I’ll point you to two other interesting gins: first, Tanqueray Rangpur, which adds a nice touch of citrus and ginger and can make your a plain gin and a splash of soda (it can do rocks too, but it benefits from the carbonation) a revelation. Second, Genevieve, from the makers of Junípero (itself a clever play on words, as it’s actually named after Father Serra), which is also intended to be drank straight or in a simple Gin Cocktail, is a genever-style gin – the Dutch precursor of gin, distilled more along the lines of whiskey using grain mash and gin aromatics in a copper pot. The closest thing I can come to describing it is as the love-child of Hendrick’s and a very lightly aged Woodford if such a thing existed.
geg6
I do not drink hard liquor. That has never worked out well for me. I am strictly a beer and wine girl. With the exception of an after dinner liquer, usually sambuca or a Bailey’s. And can I just recommend a fine musical program currently OnDemand: VH1 Storytellers: Foo Fighters Live at Wembly Stadium. IMHO, the best rock band on the current scene. Dave Grohl rules.
SFAW
mb @ 72
Well said
Tx Expat –
I almost reached for my car keys to go to the local Rite-Aid and try to duplicate your good fortune.
Unfortunately, I’m apparently in the wrong part of the country for that to be a possibility. So have a sip for me.
Zach
You’ve actually posted about Fee Brothers before; awesome place to have in your neighborhood.
Rye for bourbon drinkers should be fine, and this post has convinced me to serve Manhattans at Thanksgiving; just grabbed some Rowan’s Creek that should do the trick.
Chasm
Someone mentioned Sazerac Rye. Mmmmm. Great stuff for the price. Nice bottle too.
CMcD
@Chasm:
Damn, that sounds good!
Chasm
Anyone tried any of Anchor Steam’s sipping whiskeys? Old Portrero or 18th Century Rye? Makes me feel like I’m in a saloon in the old west.
Dr Dave (a different one)
@Kewalo:
I was going to ask about Boodles. I have some fond memories of gin and tonics made with Boodles, but from so long ago (early ’80s grad school) that I was afraid I’d be disappointed. You’ve emboldened me to give it a try sometime.
I currently go for martinis in cooler weather (Bombay Sapphire and Martini & Rossi roughly 6:1) and Tanqueray with tonic in warmer weather. In cooler weather, there is also always a twelve or more year old scotch in the liquor cabinet-my current fave is Glenfiddich Solera 15 year reserve.
One of my best friends prefers vodka to gin. I indulge him when he’s mixing, but my dad was a gin drinker, so I think the choice of booze is in my DNA. He has, however, persuaded me on one important point: “It’s all about the vegetables!” I haven’t yet seen anybody mention garlic- or jalapeno-stuffed olives, both of which provide a nice kick. Trader Joe’s has some enormous garlic-stuffed green olives that are currently a staple in my pantry.
Demo Woman
Vodka Martinis with a slight splash of vermouth and olives. Yum.
What wines are good for Turkey Day?
Backbencher
My favorite rye is Templeton Rye but you can only get it in Iowa
Wag
Side by side tasting (part 2)
Hendricks is again more subtle but now the rose and cucumber come out in the nose. I think the martini was so cold that the sromatics were suppressed. The palate is wonderful, soft and relaxing.
Saphire has a brightness, both in the nose and on the palate. Very refreshing and clean
two very different gins, and quite frankly, both are Far more interesting diluted with some tonic.
I’m done with martinis, sticking to mixed.
Wag +4
Trollhattan
Another Boodles vote. Trader Joes used to carry it for $9.99 and it bested the usual suspects at twice the price. They don’t have it too often now, so I get it wherever and don’t pay attention to the price.
G&T season calls for vast quantities of Boodles. I even planted a lime tree to support the habit, but the bastard doesn’t produce useful fruit until August so I have to buy them from May through July. Can’t do the martini thang. They shithammer my brain in a lurid manner.
anticontrarian
tom in texas did some blogging about tito’s vodka a while back, fwiw. as to your questions, first off, you should check out hendricks gin. it’s scottish, and in addition to the usual array of botanicals, they also infuse a little bit of cucumber and rosehips into it. the cucumber especially helps to cut down the astringency, and it makes a delightful martini. which brings me to the next answer, how to make a proper martini (i’ve been a bartender for most of fifteen years now, so i know whereof i speak).
first, vodka martinis are bullshit. it’s a chilled shot of vodka, the way most folks make them, and all the fancy glassware in the world can’t and won’t change that. a proper martini is made with gin and dry vermouth, somewhere between three and four to one, and most importantly it is stirred, not shaken. shaking a martini bruises the gin and leaves a scum of ice over the top. fill your mixing glass with ice, pour the booze. take your bar spoon, holding it by the twisty part and roll it back and forth between thumb and first two fingers so that the spoon spins gently through the booze while raising and lowering the spoon from just below the top almost down to the bottom. you should be holding the mixing glass with your other hand. stir it only until the glass becomes ice cold, then strain the martini into a pre-chilled glass (i typically start the process by filling the martini shell with ice and soda, and then mix the drink). an olive or two goes in next, and will be more delicious the longer you marinate it. i’m agnostic on making them dirty. de gustibus non est disputandum and all, but i think it’s kind of lame. adding your fee bros bitters makes it into something that is not a martini.
as for rye and bourbon, there’s much more of a crossover appeal between the two than between either and, say, scotch, so that’d be just fine. i should also mention that black maple hill makes a fine bourbon. other highlights of the bourbon world include noah’s mill, booker’s, and eagle rare (at least if you want to get off the beaten path), and the consensus among the bourbon cognoscenti of my acquaintance is that the best of the best is pappy van winkle’s 12 year.
also, for any cocktail and booze geeks out there, i’d like to pimp my friend’s blog, at caskstrength.wordpress.com. his name’s andrew bohrer, and he knows whereof he speaks. check his shit out.
Kirk Spencer
This time of year it’s Irish coffee. Or rather, Whiskeyed Coffee. Outstanding Irish, Scotch, or even American whiskeys deserve to be taken straight. A good whiskey, even a blend, works wonderfully. By the same token a good coffee is sufficient provided it’s prepared well. The subtle tones of outstanding coffees are buried by the whiskey.
If it’s not whiskey, it’s a hot butterscotch or hot buttered rum.
Personally, I think cold alcoholic drinks are a waste of flavor. Cold numbs the taste buds and prevents the alcohol from evaporating, in turn preventing most of the flavor from getting to the nose. That said, on a hot day a frozen margarita or cold hard lemonade that’s put in the freezer till slushy makes up for the loss of taste.
matt
Perhaps this thread could use some hard won wisdom: Do not hoard your liquor, for someday you may move to Canada. That’s right, get busy.
+0 :(
barman
I’m amazed to have gone through 128 comments and no mention of Martin Miller’s, easily the best gin on the market. Stir and strain with Noilly to taste and serve with a twist and one olive.
Jason
Tanqueray’s Ten is wonderful gin in a martini.
There’s a great restaurant in Albany which makes a cucumber lemonade using Hendrick’s, and it’s delicious. I couldn’t imagine using the cucumber taste in a dirty martini though…
R-Jud
@Demo Woman:
All of them.
Seriously, though, I’ve had good luck with any decent Cava– I never write down specific names, unfortunately. But sparkling wines rarely offend.
If that doesn’t suit you, some nice NY wineries have created a food pairing database, which is linked in this article here. Even if you can’t get the specific wines where you live, I’m sure you could scrounge up something similar. There’s also this WaPo article, which suggests general styles.
Mayur
C’mon, people.
Martinis are meant to have vermouth; “dry” just means French rather than Italian. Jeebus.
So, simply done: 3:1 (or if you like vermouth, 2:1) Beefeater: Dolin Dry (substitute Plymouth or Noilly Prat on either end, or if you have some cash and want something much more herbal, Old Raj: Vya Dry), stir with cracked ice for at least 15 seconds (preferably allow to “cook” on the ice for a few seconds) then strain into a chilled glass. If you have excess, place into a carafe set into crushed ice to stay cold. A small glass plus a carafe on ice is better than a big glass, since you’ll have a cold drink the whole way through.
Oh, and a lemon twist for any of the above. Dash of Regan’s if you like it. I like Fee’s (the family is simply adorable in person), but the Fee’s orange is pretty much identical to orange oil, so you could always buy Boyadjian’s or the like and use that. Half-half Regan’s-Fee’s is nice, though (and if you make cocktails regularly, you should consider just mixing some of that and keeping it in a dasher on your bar).
Demo Woman
@R-Jud: Thanks. Enjoy your holiday.
Michael
OK, I’m only gonna admit this because I’m at +4…
The one year in college I spent in an actual dorm, my roommate and I both happened to not particularly like beer or wine, so we’d pool for a big bottle of Tanqueray for gin and tonics. Fresh limes didn’t last long and we were too lazy to keep stocking up on them; and the little lime juice bottles were just nasty. So we came to a solution that didn’t work out as bad as it sounds:
Tanqueray, tonic, … and Tang.
Of Bugs and Books
@mb:
Although I’m not a drinker, I’m seriously considering it now that I see how easy it might be to distort not only this space-time continuum into a pretzel, but an infinite number of multiverses with nothing more than the shadow of an onion suspended over an arbitrary mixture of alcohols.
/ actually, I’m in awe of your passionate wordsmithery.
Loneoak
@twiffer:
first off, anything that is not made with gin and vermouth ONLY is not a martini. they are cocktails in a martini glass.
Um, if there’s more than ice and one alcoholic ingredient it is a cocktail by definition. A martini consisting of gin and vermouth IS a cocktail in a martini glass. I can’t tell if you’re being polemical or definitional here, but a vodka martini is still a martini. Wikipedia backs me up on this one.
Reverend Lowdown
Really great suggestions all. Summer drink: mint Julep. I use Elijah Craig bourbon(very nicely priced, about $22 in WI) and a syrup made from mint grown in my garden. Heaven. Unless of course you happen to have a really nice bourbon. Then, the hell with the syrup…and ice for that matter.
Mayur
@Loneoak: @Loneoak: It’s not a “martini glass;” it’s a cocktail glass (either a coupe, or a Nick and Nora, or whatever). Yes, a vodka martini is a martini definitionally, because it became that in the ’50s; a bunch of random crap in a cocktail glass is not. Otherwise, we could call a sidecar, aviation, ….. a “martini.” The bar I own has 50 or so cocktails, most of which are served up; if we were to pollute the definition of “martini” with those, we’d end up with useless nomenclature.
snarkout
Seconding the upthread recommendation of the Buffalo Trace family of bourbons. The Pappy van Winkle 12 Year is superb. (For ryes, I quite like Old Overholt, and you can’t beat the price-to-deliciousness ration. Pikesville, which I can no longer find, is wonderful. I hope it’s still being made.)
WereBear
@Kewalo: Ha!
I rarely argue with Travis McGee. Lovely series.
CalD
Properly speaking it’s not a martini without Martini and Rossi vermouth — any more than any random fucking girl drink served chilled in a martini glass is a martini.
My favorite recipe:
Chill 1 large martini glass — I prefer using ice cubes and water for this — until it’s stupid cold.
Dump out the out the ice-water and add a few drops of dry vermouth. Swirl it around to coat the glass then dump out any excess.
Put ice in a shaker and add an appropriate amount of Kettel One vodka (screw Fareed Zakaria and the horse he rode in on). Shake it till it’s so clod your fingers start to stick to the shaker. I read somewhere that the more you shake it, the more antioxidants you create — if true, even better.
Decant immediately into the glass you prepared, taking a moment to admire the lively ice slick that forms on top.
Serve with olives or cocktail onions, depending on your mood.
That, is art.
Halffasthero
I am not sure if there is a name for the drink but I drink Grey Goose vodka martini’s and once upon a time I was out of olives. I saw hot giardiniera in the back of the fridge and decided to use it instead and, damn, it was good! A spicy martini!
CalD
I meant cold, and lovely.
stickler
There are already 145 comments, and I’m going to respond to the very first one:
The only thing that can be called a “martini” has as its ingredients — gin, vermouth and either olives or a twist. Everything else, especially chocolate, apple, cinnamon, ginger, cream, or Twinkie filling, is possibly potable, but ABSOLUTELY DISQUALIFYING for the category “martini.” It might be yummy, it might be disgusting, but is sure as Hell isn’t a martini.
Please, people, let’s preserve a few of the standards of Western civilization. Martini: gin, vermouth. Everything else: Not a martini.
Martin
Oh, and mojitos in summer. Many pitchers of them.
Trollhattan
@ R-Jud & Demo Woman,
Si, and drilling down a bit, it’s a good time for Rieslings and Gewurtztraminer on the white side of things (if chardonnay, unoaked and little or no MF, Chablis style). Also. Rousanne & vignonier. Also.
More interesting pairing challenges on the red side of the ledger. Pinot noir, lighter style cab franc, nibbiolo…uh, gotta go to dinner.
stickler
JW Hammer:
No. A “stirred martini” is a glass of cold gin. A shaken martini is the libation of the gods. And it’s colder.
stickler
ChrisH:
Hells yes. Dry fly gin is fifteen kinds of awesome, and is actually one of the best straight gins I’ve ever tried. Their vodka is nice ‘n smooth, too. They use a lot of PNW white wheat (they’re based in Spokane, I think).
RedKitten
That’s why I don’t actually drink martinis. Too many fucking rules, and too many people arguing about how their way is the best way to make one. I stick to wine and beer mostly, and if I want hard liquor, I’ll break out the tequila and make margaritas (in summer), or haul out my bottle of Glen Breton Rare, neat (in winter).
Drinkerman
Yo, kids, remember, however cute this all is, booze is serious. As a cute kid once upon a time myself, the only martini I drink is a Gibson, and I’ve drank more of them than you ever will, ever since the old man let me suck the onions back in, what, the ’50’s.
Wikipedia will back me up on the Gibson, probably, as someone said about the gin and vermouth earlier.
Be careful here. This is really all about unforgiving chemicals, and what they do to how your brain is working today and what they can do to how your liver works some day maybe a while from now. This isn’t just fucking about with grated petunia blossoms and lollipops the way you make it sound. Take it from an old alcoholic, this is serious, little dudes. Best to drop the cute, and forget about the stylish, and dive into the true elixir so you have half a chance to see it coming.
Tom Betz
DougJ, after your update — again, I recommend Tuthilltown’s Baby Bourbon. If only for the novelty of it being the first distilled liquor legally licensed for production in New York State since prohibition, but also because it’s so damned good!
Alice Gabriel’s NY Times review.
Kewalo
So nice to see that I’m not the only one who is a Travis McGee fan! Wonderful way to spend an afternoon cruising on the Busted Flush. I was really pissed when MacDonald died.
And Boodles hasn’t changed. It’s still a lovely gin. I don’t drink many G&T’s but I can see how it would be good in it too.
Count me with the group that thinks that a martini is either vodka and gin and vermouth. Although I have to say, using olive juice or bourbon might qualify. Putting liquore in a martini doesn’t count in my opinion.
And whoever brought up hot drinks is right on. Liquor and coffee are a perfect mix. My personal favorite is Kahlua, and brandy…a Keoki coffee. And in case you don’t know, Keoki means George in Hawaiian.
R-Jud
@RedKitten:
This. Margaritas with anything grilled are awesome.
Also, I’m a bit spoiled at US-based family gatherings, as my father and younger sisters are all formally-trained bartenders. My baby sister makes the most fantastic Long Island iced teas ever, and Dad’s old fashioneds are pretty awesome, too.
GeneralB
@DarrenG:
The Eagle Rare is the most complex bourbon i’ve ever tasted. Take a sip, sit back and enjoy the flavors roll through.
A party in your mouth.
Cain
@tom:
I’ve found that if you eat something like cheese or a good salami (trader joe’s chianti salami!) and the flavor of the drink changes. You also have to have the right glass so you can swirl and smell properly.
cain
Jane_in_Colorado
Boodles gin, 5 parts to Vermouth. Shaken with ice. Served with an olive or two. Yum.
Cain
@RedKitten:
I don’t generally like olives either, but man, I got some from Trader Joe’s and they tasted so buttery.. yummy. (I know, I sound like a walking and talking trader joe’s commercial.. but some people like to go to disney world, I like to go to trader joe’s.. (or spatuala city))
cain
Cain
@mb:
Best post so far! Made me laugh out loud!
cain
andy
Talking of rye, Sazerac is okey-dokey, but Russell’s Reserve is awesome. Neat, it has some interesting things going not unlike a scotch (must be the rye- corn whiskey smells a little too much like stale old man beer to me), and it makes a really awesome Sazerac cocktail (I use Fee Bitters for that too).
Uncle Omar
This thread certainly proves that liquor is strictly a matter of taste. I, for one, would never defile a single malt with ice and yet there are those who prefer it that way. A martini is either gin and vermouth only, with a possible olive, or just about any combination of clear liquor and oily mix, with whatever fruit or vegetable is at hand. I prefer porters and stouts, yet many abhor them and insist on lagers and that horse piss known as the King of Beers or its lighter brother. Diversity in alcohol is a beautiful thing. It is also best to have a regulation size alley out the back door for the settlement of disputes.
Corner Stone
Very, very dirty vodka MARTINI. Imagine, if you will, that you stole money from the Salvation Army person outside the department store, then took that money and used it to buy hookers, heroin, scratch off tickets and a copy of Going Rogue at full price.
THAT’S how fuckin’ dirty I enjoy my vodka MARTINI.
Jose C
Orange Bitters (Fee Bros)
Noilly Pratt Vermouth ( the rest is rotgut)
Bombay Sapphire.
2:1 ratio gin to vermouth.
I am also partial to Vespers.
bedtimeforbonzo
I have been good lately and have refrained from any real drinking, but never did the martini thing — beer or bourbon for me.
My wife is a wine drinker and likes to have it with dinner a couple times a week. And although she rarely imbides in more than one glass, she does not like to drink alone. I got her off the Merlot and am always in the search of a good $10 bottle of Cabernet Sav.
My latest find which I would recommended heartily is 14 Hands, from Washington State and so named for the small (14 hands in height, a strange but endearing way to measure) but strong wild horses that once roamed the land where the vineyards now occupy. 14 Hands — smooth but full-bodied, very agreeable.
DougJ
Imagine, if you will, that you stole money from the Salvation Army person outside the department store, then took that money and used it to buy hookers, heroin, scratch off tickets and a copy of Going Rogue at full price.
Very good!
KaffeeMeister
DougJ, I like a martini with Bombay sapphire the best. However second place has to go with a Gin or Vodka Martini that has been infused with peppercorns. One of the greatest restaurants in Seattle has had these great pepper Martinis for decades, and they are fantastic. General idea: 2 tablespoons black, red, green or mixed peppercorns to about 8 ounces of liquor. Allow to mix and mellow for 4 to 7 hours. And, Voila!
bedtimeforbonzo
” . . . that horse piss known as the King of Beers or its lighter brother.”
Like Uncle Omar, I enjoy a good Lager, Stout or Porter and have never understood how something as bland and headache-inducing as Bud could be so popular. And I just don’t understand why one would drink a light beer (better to pass altogether); I mean, water itself would be more refreshing.
But light beers do give us some great commercials: I laugh everytime at the Coors Light spots with the three Regular Guy fans asking NFL coaches questions at faux press conferences. “PLAYOFFS?”
Ruckus
Martinis are OK but simple sipping whiskey is the best. And the best of that is George Dickel 12 yr old Tennessee whiskey. Straight up or a couple of cubes, it’s smooth and tasty. If you can’t get Dickel, and it is hard to find, Knob Creek is acceptable, then Makers. Over the decades I’ve tried cocktails of all kinds, wines galore, and beers from those piss water pale lagers to a lot of the fancy micros. Now the affinity may come from a story from my youth. My folks told me that when I was 3 they had a party (not for me, I was just there) and they found me going around the room and drinking the remains out of the highball glasses. So a drunk at 3. Sipping whiskey is still the best for me although my rations are few and far between these days.
OriGuy
A few years ago, I was Speyside with some friends. We’d hit a few distilleries already, and two of us decided to go to Glenfarclas just to go to the gift shop. When we got there, they apologized that we were too late for the tour and offered us a “wee dram” anyway. The usual that is offered after the tours at these places is something like a 12 year old; respectable, but not high-end. We accepted and wandered around the shop. After a bit, they told us that, as they were closing up, they were going to have a bit themselves and offered us a choice of the 25 or the 30 year old. A free taste of 30 year old Scotch is noting to turn down!
I want to go back to Scotland.
2th&nayle
@DougJ: @DougJ: I beg to differ, for my money the best version is on “West Textures”. But that’s just me.
Ruckus
@Uncle Omar:
You give horse piss a bad name. I figure that a large fine animal like that wouldn’t piss anything as gross as that St. Louis swill. Nor probably any animal for that matter.
Ruckus
@Corner Stone:
Agree with DougJ. Very well word played.
Chris Johnson
Whatever. Martinis will pwn you. Serves you guys right to have people going on about vodka martinis with a cherry and a little umbrella.
It will turn you into Republicans. Glenn Beck will start making sense to you. Suddenly you’ll be licking martini juice off Ann Coulter’s adam’s apple, and it will be too late.
OriGuy
I should add that at the whisky distilleries, the tasting is done first neat, and then with just a few drop of spring water. Ideally, the water is from the same spring that feeds the distillery. A touch of water breaks the ester chains and releases the aromatics. Ice freezes them!
Comrade Mary
@Corner Stone: Type that again, but more slowly this time. Sloooowly. Oh. Baby.
Corner Stone
@Ruckus:
IMO, Knob Creek is pretty damn acceptable. I’ve received it as Xmas gifts a few times and I’ve accepted it every time.
Ridge
Re; Bourbon-
Lots of martini comments and I agree with the Bombay sapphire line, but few discuss bourbon. It comes down to the style of the Master Distillers, and I like the direction the Beam family is taking at Heaven Hill (same family but not working on Jim Beam products- different distiller).
For a smooth, complex cognac style, see Elijah Craig 18 yr single barrel. Wonderful. For a change, try the vintage Evan Williams single barrel 10yr. I’m working on a 1995 bottling and its great. For just plain drinkbility, the old style Bulleit in the square bottle; not the current abortion released by Seagrams…but the original directed by that Lexington attorney.. My god, it went down so good, before you knew it, 1/2 the bottle was gone. If I could find a case of it, I would snap it up.
Good luck-
Ruckus
@Corner Stone:
Correct you are sir! But of course that’s not the acceptable that I meant.
Ruckus
@Corner Stone:
You are on fire tonight. Where are you on the + meter?
Kineslaw
In terms of gin, what works best is influenced by your garnish. Bombay Sapphire is good with olives. Tanqueray Rangpur is awesome with limes, Tanqueray works well with lemons and Tanqueray Ten and grapefruit is about the best combo ever.
I’ve also starting subbing St. Germaine for vermouth. It has a nice citrusy note. My martini of choice is 1.5 oz of Tanqueray, 1 tsp. of St. Germain, dash of orange bitters and a twist of orange or lemon.
The best gin and tonic ever is Tanqueray 10 muddled with grapefruit, then add ice and tonic.
I also just found a new liqueur – Domaine de Canton. It is ginger-flavored made with a cognac base. Great nose, great taste and plays well with coffee and apple cider.
Corner Stone
@Ruckus: Don’t have to be anywhere on the meter. DougJ finally threw one right in my wheelhouse.
Which is to say, I’m not a connosewer of the finer things with a Proof rating, but I have a long and varied history of imbibing what it takes.
From a troubled yoot filled with Night Train and Everclear misremembers, to a middle ground where I learned to appreciate the darker beers from their lighter brethren, to a pre-middle age where I can afford whatever I want, but still prefer good quality at good price points, alcohol has always been there for me.
But tonight I’m punch drunk. I’ve put in a week of 18 hour days working and am too juiced to sleep right now. As some of the insomiacs here will attest to. Too tired to make sense and too damn wired to lay down.
Ruckus
@Corner Stone:
Got it. As one insomniac to another I don’t know if my thoughts are better or worse late at night, it’s just that there’s no way to get them to shut the hell up and sleep. And no that’s not voices, just a jumble of thoughts. Kind of feels a little like being tipsy but without the morning regrets.
moe99
Washington state now has a distillery that does a very nice gin:
Recommend it.
moe99
Here itis, I hope. If not just cut and paste:
http://pacificdistillery.blogspot.com/2009/11/our-new-marketing-reach-in-seattle.html
Mike D.
Rye is what Draper drinks, you realize.
Ian
Rum. Any kind. In large quantities. That’s why 95% of my posts are at 3am
foo
Coming from Oregon I have to give a shoutout to both Cascade Moutain and Desert Juniper Gin from Bendistillery. Desert Juniper makes and exceptional martinis.
I miss the haydays of a decade or so ago when it seemed that every vineyard and their grandmother was making a specialty vermouth. Sure I had five or seven bottles of vermouth taking up room in the fridge but much of it was so tasty I didn’t mind drinking it strait.
Tom
This brings to mind an old joke about martini drinkers, who, especially older ones, believe that they and only they know how to correctly make a martini. “If you are alone and lost in the jungles of Africa, and you don’t know where you are, start making a martini and a dozen martini drinkers will show up to tell you that you are doing it incorrectly.” In my experience, there are several ways to make a good martini. My own preference is for Bombay Sapphire gin.
Wipe a martini glass with the peel of a lemon (does not need to be large, something on the order of 1/2 – 1 inch squareish; should not have any pith), including the rim and drop the peel in. Put in a two sprays of dry vermouth, and pour the gin up to the brim. Drop in a few olives, and spray the top of the gin with two more sprays of vermouth. (According to some, the vermouth should act more as an aromatic, because, let’s face it, gin does not smell all that great, rather than a an ingredient to the martini). Enjoy.
As one last martini truth…One makes you intelligent, two make you courageous, and three make you invincible (at least until morning).
lojasmo
The only hard liquor I drink is the occasional Bombay Saphire and tonic.
I heard tell of a bombay bloody mary. Sounds nummy, but I can’t stand tomato juice.
Bootlegger
One of the joys of living in the Can-tuck-ay is the bourbon. Every liquor store has a very large offering from the small shops, including ryes. In addition to all the bourbons mentioned above, I recommend Corner Creek. On the low end price wise and not very “old”, but very smooth with a mellow smoke finish. Hard to find outside the sacred hunting grounds of the Can-tuck-ay, but the best kept secret in bourbon.
Charles D
I just bought a bottle of the Finger Lakes Rye Friday from my wine merchant (she of the Red Feet) and it is most definitely yummy. Complex with a devastating nose and smooth as a baby’s bottom.
I will have to try their gin, or better yet, drive out there and sample all their wares. I haven’t found a gin to rival the long gone Tanqueray Malacca – described by one reviewer as “buxom” (certainly appealing). Maybe Seneca Drums will do the trick.
Will
I’m still getting over the fact that Fareed Zakaria wrote a column about martinis.
BruceFromOhio
@Will:
It’s from awhile back, if teh Google has not led me astray.
Finger Lakes Distilling
Thanks for all the great comments about our spirits. We make a pretty wide range – vodka, gin, whiskey, brandy and liqueurs. Worth a visit if you’re ever in the Finger Lakes region. Also available at a few online retailers – DrinkUpNY.com, MarketviewLiquor.com and Park Ave Liquors.
Leisureguy
My idea of the perfect martini.
BenTheTipsyBear
Wow. Where to start.
I love about 60% of you. And I’m quite fond of the rest.
Gin – my father said he tasted all of the gins available in the 60s, and preferred Gordon’s London Dry. Mighty affordable as well. I have preferred it to all the others, but that may be training. Excellent in a dry martini (6:1 Gordon’s to Noilly Prat dry, stirred w/ice for 60 seconds in glass pitcher, poured into a cocktail glass made by Orrefors, with a pimento stuffed olive or two). Also great in a gin & tonic. If you can find a rangpur lime (technically, a bitter mandarin), put that in there. Super refreshing.
First martinis to be developed from the martinez had bitters in them. The ones with just gin and vermouth are dry martinis.
Sazerac – is there a way to make them sweet? Gah. 2 oz rye (Sazerac brand, Rittenhouse both yummy), 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters, stirred, poured into an Absinthe (or Absenths, Herbsaint) rinsed class, twist of orange rind.
Scotch – Macallan’s 12 (sherry finish) is my standard companion. Mad props to Balvenie double wood as well. Keep a Laphroaig in the closet for the end of the evening when I want to chew on a piece of peat bog (couple times a month…).
anticontrarian
also:
i like to have a martini
two at the very most
three i’m under the table
four i’m under my host
-dorothy parker
pekio
@Kewalo: well i am admittedly a bit biased, but i would go with the Portland 88….it is crisp and lovely and just a touch higher proof…a good, clean, classic old school vodka. furthermore, i’ve found that a bottle of vodka is never truly happy until it is loved…and consumed…so please, by all means, open it already! :)
my best,
pekio (connector of applicable dots, new deal distillery)
Nathanael
You’re in upstate NY? (Or possibly northern PA)
I had no idea, DougJ!
Jerome McDonough
Anchor Distilling’s gin, Junipero, has already been mentioned. One of my favorites. They also make some very good ryes, named “Old Potrero.” If you’re a bourbon fan, you will probably like good rye as well. The problem is that for many years, rye was seen as just cheap blending whiskey, so quality was low. Black Maple Hill is a favorite, and no, it’s no sweeter than your typical bourbon. On the vermouth front, we just had a new import brand show up here: Dolin, out of France. VERY good and worth seeking out.
If you want a classic gin cocktail that *isn’t* a martini, try a Bronx: 2 oz gin, 1/4 oz sweet vermouth, 1/4 oz dry vermouth, 1 oz fresh orange juice, orange bitters. Shake and strain, garnish with an orange twist.
Peter
OK, I skipped most of this. But if you have access to Chronogram magazine up there, I just wrote a piece about some badass micro-distilling down here in the Hudson Valley for the December issue. Vodkas, Whiskeys, eaux de vie- on your next trip through you should pick some up and compare with your local stuff. Oh, also Absinthe from Delaware county; I made an absinthe-tini that didn’t suck.
polyorchnid octopunch
WTF? Every single rye I’ve seen mentioned here is from the States… it’s called Canadian Whiskey for a reason, people.
Try Glen Breton Ice, Alberta Springs, or (if you have dough) Crown Royal Extra Rare. I hear Wiser’s Red Letter is pretty good, though I’ve not had the chance to try it myself.
Edoc
Sad– so few mentions of rum. Aged rum, people. Rum is incredibly versatile, from drinking neat, over ice or in a wide array of cocktails.
If you’re a whisky (or whiskey) drinker, try one of the following: Mount Gay Extra Old (Barbados), Abuelo 7yr or 12yr (Panama), or Cruzan Single Barrel (St. Croix). You can make pseudo-manhattans with all of these.
Other great choices: Vizcaya (my fave), El Dorado 15 yr, Clement VSOP, Barbancourt 15yr.
If you like port wine or sherry, run— don’t walk– to find a bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 (Venezuela) or Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum (Bermuda). These are both outstanding rums.
And finally, if you don’t mind sweet, rich rums, try Pyrat XO (Anguilla), Zacapa (Guatemala), Zaya (Trinidad) or Diplomatico (Venezuela).
[No, I don’t work for rum importers, but I clearly have a rum obsession.]