The Martini is perhaps the classiest cocktail in the world. Its elegance and simplicity creates an iconic drink served throughout the world. But there are standards at play, and in order to perform the perfect serve, one must understand the differences between the main variations of martinis.
There are three main variations of a martini: Dry, Wet, and Dirty. Spare us the choco-tini or the apple-tini. Those are imposters.
GREY GOOSE believes there are specific ways you must make all martinis, and using only the finest ingredients is the first step.
For each of the three main variations, make sure to use a Boston glass to mix and a 4.5-ounce martini class as your serving vessel. The martini is an elegant drink and should be served in an elegant glass.
A dry martini is one that uses less vermouth as opposed to more, so the ratio is tilted more toward vodka. Fill up a Boston glass with ice and add one dash orange bitters—to add nuance—one-half part vermouth to 2.5 parts GREY GOOSE vodka. Briskly stir, per tradition—don’t shake a vodka martini—and strain into your glass.
Some say this should be garnished with an olive, but François Thibault, GREY GOOSE’s cellar master, prefers a lemon peel. The lemon adds brightness to compliment the dry nature of the cocktail.
Squeeze some of the essential oils into the glass and touch the rim with the peel before twisting it and dropping it into the glass. Now you can enjoy the perfect dry GREY GOOSE martini.
Making a wet martini is all about the ratio of vermouth to vodka. Whereas in a dry martini you would add a half-part vermouth, in a wet you add one whole part. Just as with the dry version, use a Boston glass with ice as your mixing vessel. Add the orange bitters and vermouth to the GREY GOOSE vodka and serve in a classic 4.5-ounce martini glass.
For the wet martini, use two green olives as your garnish to balance the sweetness of the added vermouth.
Finally we get to the dirty martini, which, it must be said, did itself no favors with the name, as the dirty martini is a delicious cocktail. It does require a little extra work for the payoff.
As with both the wet and the dry, use a Boston glass, but this time add 2/3 parts olive brine and four pitted olives and muddle them together. Add two parts vermouth and two parts GREY GOOSE and top with cubed ice. Briskly stir, giving time for the ingredients to chill and mingle. Serve in the classic 4.5-ounce martini glass and garnish with a pair of Mediterranean olives.
The added vermouth plays well with the salty brine, making the dirty martini a one-of-a-kind savory cocktail.
As you can see, there are several ways to make an excellent vodka martini, but the best way is to use the finest ingredients possible, beginning with GREY GOOSE vodka.
