What Happened to the Martini?

Got back from a wedding in Houston this evening. Very fun affair, beautifully planned and executed. The families were warm and welcoming. So were the bartenders! They were doing their part (it was an open bar, God bless them) to keep everyone's spirits in the celebratory mood. But I was miffed at this conversation:

Me: Hi, can a get a martini please? One olive.
Arturo (bartender): A what?
Me: A martini.
Arturo: I... uh... (has confused look).
Me: Just a normal gin martini...
Arturo: Gin... uh...
Me (getting frustrated): Just a regular martini. Do you know how to make that?
Arturo: Ah... no.

I then proceeded to tell/show him what a martini is and how to make it (the drink that founded modern drinking standards in America). I couldn't believe it. The martini is almost as American as apple pie, baseball, and car companies losing tons of money. It's almost a symbol of American freedom: there are so many different ways to make a martini, or a variation on it, that it's astounding. But I was looking for the old standard... and was rejected. So in honor of that sequence, here's tonight's combo.

Theme of the Day: Shaken Not Stirred
James Bonds' iconic phrase may give you the impression that the martini is of anglo origin, but it is certainly American. The general consensus is that the martini is the byproduct of the dumbing down of a drink from the 19th century called the martinez (sweet vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur, and bitters), named for its originating location of Martinez, California. James doesn't really need to clarify his drink preparation instructions, as the martini is traditionally shaken anyway. Bond always orders a vodka martini, and he (of such great sophistication) should be privy of the vodka martini's proper name: the Kangaroo. At any rate, in the name of sophistication, today we will salute the real swingers of any party who sip on their martinis whilst everyone else enjoys their various fruity drinks.

Drink of the Day: The Martini
2 1/2 ounces of gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 ounce of dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
1 Olive

In a shake half full of crushed ice, add the gin and the vermouth. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the olive. For a "dirty" martini, add olive juice/more olives. For a "dry" martini, use less vermouth and more gin.

Word to the wise about the martini: it is 95% alcohol. Too many, and you'll be needing a cab. They are considered the true drinker's choice.

Variations:
Gibson: substitute olive for 3 cocktail onions.
Silver Bullet: substitute scotch for vermouth.
Saketini: substitute sake for vermouth.
Rob Roy: substitute scotch for gin and sweet vermouth for dry.

Smoke of the Day: Nat Sherman "New York Cut"

This cigarette seems to be the best companion for the martini. Not quite a menthol or clove cigarette, but definitely a cigarette of high enough quality to be found in the suit coat of a Manhattanite. Truly enjoyable, and with an air of elitism that is just right for martini drinking. Ladies, if you smoke this cigarette, use a cigarette holder a la Katherine Hepburn (and if you're going to smoke a New York cut and look like Mrs. Hepburn in this photo, then you'll need to send your contact information to me).

Song of the Day: "Come Fly With Me" by Frank Sinatra
For martini drinking and lounge hopping, a song by the Chairman of the Board is almost necessary. While Dean Martin was famous for drinking martinis (a lot of them) on stage during performances, it's Sinatra's music that harkens to the hey day of lounge music and not Dino's penchant for Italian ballads. To quote the song, "if you could use some exotic booze there's a bar in far Bombay..."


Cheers


RP