Martinis – It’s Enough to Make a Drunk Man Cry

Ok, I don’t mean to go off on a drunken rant here, but WTF with the Martini mods?! Look, I’m all about putting an olive in the glass, and maybe a little of the brine to make it “dirty”, but all these crazy concoctions and versions have really, in my opinion, bastardized the drink. Hell, they may have even bastardized drinking…

Ok, maybe I went a little too far there.

Here’s the point: When you get to where there isn’t any Gin or Vermouth in the drink anymore, how can you honestly call it a Martini? It’s a DIFFERENT DRINK people!

Of course, the purists are no better.

Over time, the public’s definition of the Martini has included less and less Vermouth. When the drink was first concocted in California in the early 1800’s, it was two ounces of Vermouth and one ounce of Gin.

By WWII, General Patton described his ideal Martini as taking a bottle of Gin and pointing it in the general direction of Italy.

 Clearly, one can go too far in either direction.

It is, of course, a matter of taste, but I think that we can all agree that Martinis are made with Gin AND Vermouth. If you want to substitute Vodka for the Gin, I won’t get after you, but please dispose of the pretense that it’s a Martini.

The whole point of the Martini is to be able to taste the Juniper in the Gin, and the sweetness of the Vermouth. When you take either of those things out, it’s a different drink. If you don’t like Gin (because you’re some sort of a wussy), then you don’t like Martinis. Maybe you should have a nice Strawberry Daiquiri instead.

You can get more information on martini recipies, even apple martinis, at www.drunkmansguide.com.