You will find below how to make a Martini such as the Classic Martini and the Shaken Martini, and also included are some alternative Martini recipes.
As anyone who watches Adult TV shows such as the cult comedy, Scrubs, will know the Martini has been reinvented over the years in many fruity forms such as the Appletini. For most Tini fans, however, the original Martini is the best and a definite for anyone wanting pure and simple alcohol hit.
The History of the Martini
As with a lot of the classic cocktails, many people claim to have invented the Martini, and so its origin remains unproven. Most sources agree that it was around from the mid or early 1800s and rose in popularity during the prohibition period of the 1920s as gin was quick and easy to produce, unlike spirits such as whiskey. The James Bond films of the 1960s saw a change for the gin-based drink by replacing the gin with vodka to create Bond’s famous “Vodka Martini – shaken not stirred.”
The classic Martini glass is similar to a wine glass in shape i.e., with a long stem, but the bowl is a shallow triangle shape.
Some famous fans of the drink are Franklin D. Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Richard Nixon, Ernest Hemingway, W.C Fields, and of course, James Bond and his creator Ian Fleming.
Martini Recipe
Ingredients for a Martini
- 6 ice cubes or cracked ice cubes
- 3 measures of gin (1 measure is approximately 3 tablespoons or 1 ½ oz)
- 1 tablespoon of dry vermouth
- 3 green olives
Kitchen tools Needed
- Mixing jug or cocktail shaker
- Martini or coupe glass
- Hawthorne strainer
- Bar spoon
- Jigger
Recipe for Classic Martini
- Prepare your glass: You can chill your glass in the freezer before you prepare your drink.
- Combine the ingredients: Combine ice cubes, the vermouth, and gin into a mixing jug and stir for 30 seconds.
- Fill 1 glass: Strain the drink with a Hawthorne strainer into a Martini glass.
- Serve: Garnish with 3 green olives on a cocktail pick for decoration.
Recipe for Shaken Martini
- Prepare your glass: You can chill your glass in the freezer before you prepare your drink.
- Combine the ingredients: Combine ice cubes, the vermouth, and gin into a shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
- Fill 1 glass: If you prefer ice shards floating at the top of the Martini, simply strain the drink into your Martini glass. If you don’t want any, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to catch the ice shards.
- Serve: Garnish with 3 green olives on a cocktail pick for decoration.
Martini Recipe Tips
- Vermouth is not a distilled spirit therefore it has a short shelf life because it’s a fortified wine. It’s time to replace it when your bottle has been open for longer than 3 months.
- You can skewer either one or three olives on a cocktail pick or simply drop them in the glass.
How To Make A Martini
Equipment
- Mixing jug or cocktail shaker
- Martini or coupe glass
- Hawthorne strainer
- Bar spoon
- Jigger
Ingredients
- 6 ice cubes or cracked ice cubes
- 3 tbsp gin 1 measure is approximately 3 tablespoons or 1 ½ oz
- 1 tablespoon dry vermouth
- 3 green olives
Instructions
Recipe for Classic Martini
- Prepare your glass: You can chill your glass in the freezer before you prepare your drink.
- Combine the ingredients: Combine ice cubes, the vermouth, and gin into a mixing jug and stir for 30 seconds.
- Fill 1 glass: Strain the drink with a Hawthorne strainer into a Martini glass.
- Serve: Garnish with 3 green olives on a cocktail pick for decoration.
Recipe for Shaken Martini
- Prepare your glass: You can chill your glass in the freezer before you prepare your drink.
- Combine the ingredients: Combine ice cubes, the vermouth, and gin into a shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
- Fill 1 glass: If you prefer ice shards floating at the top of the Martini, simply strain the drink into your Martini glass. If you don’t want any, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to catch the ice shards.
- Serve: Garnish with 3 green olives on a cocktail pick for decoration.
Notes
EQUIPMENT
- Mixing jug or cocktail shaker
- Martini or coupe glass
- Hawthorne strainer
- Bar spoon
- Jigger
Tips
1. Vermouth is not a distilled spirit therefore it has a short shelf life because it’s a fortified wine. It’s time to replace it when your bottle has been open for longer than 3 months. 2. You can skewer either one or three olives on a cocktail pick or simply drop them in the glass.MARTINI RECIPE VARIATIONS
- A Vodka Martini is the same as a Classic Martini but using vodka instead of gin.
- A Gibson is a Classic Martini with 2 or 3 cocktail onions instead of pickles.
- A Dirty Martini is a Classic Martini with a ½ measure of brine from the cocktail olive jar added.
- A Tequini is mixed from 6 ice cubes, a dash of Angostura bitters, 3 measures of white tequila, and a ½ measure of dry vermouth finally strained into a Martini glass.
- A Saketini is a mix of 6 ice cubes, 3 measures of gin, and a ½ measure of Sake strained into a Martini glass
- An Appletini is 1 measure of vodka or gin and 2 tablespoons of sour apple schnapps
Nutrition
Martini Recipe Variations
- A Vodka Martini is the same as a Classic Martini but using vodka instead of gin.
- A Gibson is a Classic Martini with 2 or 3 cocktail onions instead of pickles.
- A Dirty Martini is a Classic Martini with a ½ measure of brine from the cocktail olive jar added.
- A Tequini is mixed from 6 ice cubes, a dash of Angostura bitters, 3 measures of white tequila, and a ½ measure of dry vermouth finally strained into a Martini glass.
- A Saketini is a mix of 6 ice cubes, 3 measures of gin, and a ½ measure of Sake strained into a Martini glass
- An Appletini is 1 measure of vodka or gin and 2 tablespoons of sour apple schnapps
From the Martini Website, you can also find many experimental and fun Tini recipes.
No matter what the mix is, one truth remains – a Martini is a matter of personal taste. In fact, there has even been a Martini atomizer invented, which is used to spray little droplets of vermouth over the gin or vodka for the driest of Martinis.
7 Best Martini Recipes
These are 7 of the best Martini recipes for your to make for your cocktail parties!
- Lemon Drop Martini
- Chocolate Martini
- Blue Martini
- Watermelon Martini
- Chocolate Mint Martini
- Sweet Martini
- Clementine Martini
What To Serve With A Martini
If you are looking for some delicious food to accompany your drinks, you can make:
The Sticky Pineapple Hawaiian Grilled Wings as appetizers, followed by Shrimp Cobb Salad for the main dish, and for dessert, the Butter Pecan Cupcake!
Suggestions For Other Cocktail Recipes
If you love to drink cocktails, you should make some of these:
- 15 Gorgeous Gin Cocktails
- 17 Overly Delicious Lemonade Cocktails
- How To Make A Good Margarita
- Frozen Piña Colada
- Spiked Agua Fresca
I hope you enjoyed my Classic Martini and Shaken Martini recipes as much as I did! If you make it, please share your photos with us on Facebook or Twitter! Also, check out all of our other recipes!
I have never ever tried a martini, maybe before I die I am going to have to give one a try
This looks delicious! My kids would go crazy for this 🙂
I am so curious as how these taste, everytime I’m watching my shows someone is always drinking a martini
They are very popular on shows lol! Give it a try… so many variations too!