Why do people drink Martinis?

[Lethe]

maybe i just had all bad ones. You hear about a lot of people drinking them. Every martini i've had, i just about gagged on. I've had them vodka, gin, dirty, bleh. Vermouth just tastes gross to me. I've tried dry and sweet vermouth, both taste bad.

Anybody like martinis? Enlighten me?

:shrug:

[swag]

1. Some drink martinis because they want to get fucked up.

But some people are able to sip and modulate. And the martinis are predictable units of alcohol delivery for easy intake regulation.

[Redneck Socialist]

2. I'm with you on this

Never had a martini that I've liked.

Martinis = :puke:

[yvr girl]

3. You don't want very much vermouth in the drink

Just swish some in the glass (and dump the extra out.)

[Lethe]

4. yes thats what my bartender friend told me

still bleck

maybe its just the quality of gin

:)

[EOTE]

34. And always dry, never sweet vermouth.

Sweet vermouth is disgusting. A splash of dry vermouth, a few ounces of Ketel One, Spanish Olive, a little olive juice for good measure, and you're good to go. Granted, if you don't like Vodka on its own to begin with, you most likely wont like a martini.

[RoyGBiv]

5. Because they're yummy ...

:-)

A desert-dry martini made with premium gin is good *if* you like the flavor of gin. You cannot judge said flavor from cheap gin, and Tanqueray is only on the cusp of being "cheap." I'm talking stuff that would cost $10 a shot in a bar, minimum. Bombay Sapphire is fairly decent.

Same for the vermouth. At most it can only coat the edges of the glass ... a drop swished around, and it must be quality vermouth. Vermouth of any variety, by itself, tastes horrible, thus the reason for the very tiny amount of it. If done properly, all it does is cut the alcohol flavor itself, leaving the flavor of the processed juniper berry behind.

Perhaps you need a better olive. If they didn't put olives in them drinks, I'd starve to death. :-)

[Lethe]

6. i am intrigued

furnish me with a good martini recipe please, with liquor/olive recommendations?

[RoyGBiv]

8. There are thousands of them ...

All the good ones are variations of a theme.

Take white vermouth (Martini and Rossi is probably the only decent thing you can find without spending far too much time on it) and place a drop or two in a martini glass, preferably chilled. Swish it around so that it coats the sides of the glass. "Drop or two" is kind of vague, I realize. The point here is to coat the inside of the glass with a film of the vermouth without leaving anything resiting in the bottom. Vermouth will stick to the sides of a glass. After that, pour a jigger (about 1 1/2 ounces) of premium gin in the glass. As noted, Bombay Sapphire is decent and probably the best you can find without a directed search. (It's anywhere from $30 - $40 for a fifth, which is a bit expensive for experimentation. Perhaps you have a store near you that sells pints or half-pints.) Swish that around. Place olive with a wooden toothpick. Plastic is bad for alcoholic drinks. I suggest Sausalito brand for the olives. Let the juice from the olive filter into the drink without actually mixing it, that is don't wash it or dry it, but also don't make a point of splashing the olive juice into the drink or stirring it in. Just let it make its own mixture.

Drink.

Eat olive.

Seriously (not that the above isn't, just that it doesn't make anyone a lesser person for not liking it), gin isn't for everyone. It is an acquired taste for certain, just like caviar, and I still hate caviar. But I do like a good, dry martini. I didn't the first few times I tried one, and then a bartender made me what he called his $20 martini, and I was hooked. The above is an approximation of what he did.

I *don't* like vodka martinis because standard vodka has no inherent taste other than the alcohol taste, so when you make a dry vodka martini according to the above instructions, what you end up with is something that cuts the alcohol flavor and leaves the vermouth as the most powerful flavor, which as already noted is rather nasty.

Gin and tonic is good too, again with premium gin. If you like something with some effervesence and a bit of a citrus-y flavor, that might be better.

[Lethe]

10. thank you sir

i shall try this when payday comes.

[Lethe]

11. best Martini song?

Martini Time
by Reverend Horton Heat

good song

:)

[patcox2]

40. "Dirty Martini," can't remember if its Graham Parker or Joe Jackson

Also a great song.

[Bunny]

27. That is a very good recipe. I have some rules to add:

First: the only martini worth drinking is one made of gin. Vodka martinis, appletinis, chocotinis and the like are an abomination, and should never be served to anyone. Or, if they must be served, they should be called something else so as not to sully the good name of a martini.

Second, you must use the very best gin you can afford - I agree with you that Bombay Sapphire is the best commonly found gin on the market for martinis. Tanqueray is good for G&T's.

Third, the gin must be as cold as possible, but not frozen. I used to keep my gin in the freezer, but this blunts the taste of the gin to an unacceptable degree.

Fourth, may I suggest a vermouth atomizer? I have one, and with a little practice, it became the perfect dispenser for just the right drop or two of gin, spread around the inside of the glass.

Fifth, shake in a stainless steel cup. Or stir, whichever you desire. I'm not convinced that shaking "bruises" the gin and renders it undrinkable.

Sixth, put a good olive on a wooden toothpick. And for the love of god, do not put olive juice in the martini. A "dirty" martini is a waste of premium gin.

Finally, one martini is not enough, and three is too many. Two seems to work best for me.

[Fuzz]

28. Martinis are like breasts, one is not enough and three is too many!

;)

[patcox2]

38. Vermouth is not nasty; try Noilly Pratt, a french vermmouth.

Much drier, very nice, they claim they were the original martini recipo vermout, but that doesn't square with the tale that the Martini developed from a drink known as "gin and it," where the "it" is short for "italian," whaich was a way of asking for italian vermouth.

And if you like iced gin, fine, drink iced gin, but drop the charade of calling it a martini.

I quite like martinis made in the original proportions, 1/3 Noilly Pratt, 2/3 Beefeaters.

Most important thing is proper chillage, thorough icing, crushed ice, stirring, not shaking, and I use chilled martini glasses and citrus-brined olives.

[Fuzz]

26. Junipero Gin!! Skip the vermouth, and the key is cold, cold, cold.

The martini must be ice cold, ice ice baby. Chill the glass in the freezer. If you have a stainless steel shaker, use it. Fill 3/4 with ice, add gin and shake, shake, shake. Remove glass from freezer, pour, and enjoy. If no stainless steel shaker, stir, stir, stir.

A lot of people don't like to shake a martini because it can cloud the drink, but it's the best way to get it cold.

Junipero gin has a great taste, best I've had, imo. Blue Sapphire might be too strong for someone who doesn't like martinis, but I like that as well. Tangueray 10 is also good. Hendricks is a good option. Plymouth is a different kind of gin, kind of sweet and floral.

With vodka, don't use vermouth at all. Jewel of Russia, Charodai are two good vodkas I like.

With a martini, since you are drinking it straight up, hopefully, the key is to get a good gin or vodka. It's worth it.

Enjoy! :D

[kwassa]

30. I love REAL martinis, too. The king of mixed drinks.

[Pied Piper]

36. I don't really care for olives

Besides, they take up too much rooom in such a tiny glass!

[leftofthedial]

7. gin

ice

nasty little green olives with pimentos


Aaaaah!

:toast: :bounce: :headbang:

[BrotherBuzz]

15. We call that drink a Tini in my neck of the woods

Back in the good old days, we would pack a pitcher full of ice and top off with gin, then salute the dusty vermouth bottle in the liquor cabinet and let the good times roll. Essence of juniper berry.

[leftofthedial]

16. yowza

one may whisper the name "vermouth" before sipping, but that's as close as the stuff should come to your drink.

[Lethe]

17. so are we all agreed that vermouth is nasty?

i'm a pretty open minded guy but that stuff.....ugh.

[RoyGBiv]

18. Certainly ...

I've been told that the best way to make a Martini is to pour gin in a glass and walk around the room with a bottle of vermouth, never letting it get within a couple feet of the gin bottle.

Chemically, it serves a purpose, but only in *very* small quantities.

Basically if I see someone actually doing something that could be called "pouring" vermouth, I order a beer instead.

[mad-mommy]

9. you have to try a watermelon martini !

[Scooter24]

12. I love em...

it's an acquired taste I guess.

If you want something fruity, try an apple martini.

[Lethe]

14. no fruity stuff

just the hard stuff for me thanks :)

[Akoto]

13. Because I'm an international man of mystery.

[Rowdyboy]

19. Like scotch, martinis are an "acquired taste"

I've reached the point where I can enjoy one and, maybe, tolerate two but thats my limit. Given a choice, I'd take a beer or a glass of white wine any day.

[The Anti-Neo Con]

20. I only like one martini.

It's called an Appletini.

Ingredients:
2Part(s)Ketel One Vodka
1Part(s)Triple Sec
1Part(s)Apple Pucker

[Vidar]

21. Because paint thinner, which usually tastes better, could be fatal

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. Because it's the epitome of a "big person's" drink...

Meaning, you are a successful adult if you can drink one without choking. :D :hi:

[tjwmason]

23. Oh crap.

That means I'm a successful adult. :(

[ScreamingMeemie]

25. And we are proud of you!

And, when I grow up, I want to be just like you!

:hug:

Seriously though, I have a hard time with any type of alcohol. My system wasn't built to enjoy it. That and this time when I was 15...ah we won't get into that. :D

[sbj405]

24. I only like fou fou martinis

And then only once in a blue moon. Though I suppose those just bear the martini name and glass. Some bear little or no resemblance to an actual martini.

[calico1]

29. I like them, but only Vodka martinis.

I can't stand Gin. It is an acquired taste, especially if you are used to sweeter alcoholic beverages. My tastes have evolved to where I once only drank light wines and drinks with sweet mixers. Now I only drink red wines and don't like any drink with too much sweetness.

[trof]

31. Like Scotch, it's an acquired taste.

My first one was recommended as a hangover cure by a 'helpful' bartender.
Gin. It tasted like lighter fluid.
But by the second one I had this nice warm feeling all over.
By the third one, I sure wasn't hungover any more.

I don't drink them often (Gin is fightin' whiskey) but I keep a pint of gin in the freezer for when the mood strikes.

I once asked a bartender how much vermouth he put in a 'very dry Martini'.
He made a circle with thumb and forefinger and said 'Zip'.
And that's the way I make 'em with just a few drops of olive juice.

[YankeyMCC]

32. I had a gin Martini as my first 'legal' drink

when my friends took me out for my 21st birthday.

I haven't had one since.

[Orsino]

33. 'Cuz we don't have to chew them. n/t

[Left Is Write]

35. I can't stand gin. But I do like vodka, and I like a vodka martini

once in a while. It must be very, very dry, though. Too much vermouth spoils any martini.

[azmouse]

37. I love Martinis!

Probably because I love gin!

Thanks... now I want one and it's only 9:30 in the morning! :)

[anarch]

39. if you don't like cold gin, you're not going to like a martini

don't even talk to me about these other so-called "martinis" that contain anything else. I like a martini...usually Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, or sometimes Tanqueray, with two olives and not very damn much vermouth, thank you. In fact, now I really really want one all of a sudden....