The martini is a cocktail that never seems to be out of style. No matter where you look, what TV show or film you’re watching, there’s always one character drinking this classy cocktail. Though some say you can’t beat a classic, at The Three Drinkers we’re always open to some variation and innovation! So without further ado, here’s our list of the top 10 variations on a martini!
The Classic Martini
The first thing you need to know about the classic martini is that it’s made with gin. That’s right - gin. Take that bottle of Grey Goose out of your hand right this instant, you’re not going to be needing it. Before you put vodka anywhere near a martini, have a go at the original recipe. A perfect blend of gin and dry vermouth that will never go out of style, here’s how to make the classic martini.
Ingredients
70ml Bombay Sapphire
15ml Dolin Vermouth Dry
lemon twist or olives for garnish
Method
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice, stir vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a pre-cooled martini glass. Garnish with either a twist of lemon or a couple of olives. Enjoy!
Helena’s Smoky Martini
Though a smoky martini (using Scotch whisky instead of vermouth) has been knocking around for a while, this martini variation has been a recent favourite of our very own Helena Nicklin - so we’ve renamed it Helena’s Smoky Martini! The whisky gives the martini a significantly more smoky flavour (hence the name), and the savoury notes in the Scotch work perfectly with the botanicals of London Dry gin.
Ingredients
15ml The Glenturret 10 Year Old Peat Smoked Whisky
60ml London Dry gin
lemon twist for garnish
Method
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice, stir well and strain into a cooled martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon and enjoy!
Dirty Martini
It’s time to get down and dirty with a classic dirty martini. You’ve probably heard this drink being ordered a few times, but do you know what actually makes it dirty? No, it’s not a handful of dirt, it’s pickle juice! The salty bathwater of olives is an ingredient that while not exactly expected, is as popular as ever. Our salt craving taste buds can’t get enough of the savoury Dirty Martini…
Ingredients
70ml Dima’s Vodka
25ml Dolin Vermouth Dry
15ml pickle juice
pickles for garnish
Method
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with cracked ice, stir vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a pre-cooled martini glass. Garnish with a pickle. Enjoy!
Bond’s Vesper Martini
We’ve been expecting you… The Vesper, named after Bond character Vesper Lynd, isn’t just a movie invention - no, this cocktail comes straight out of the Bond novels (Casino Royale, published in 1953, to be exact). We even get a fairly comprehensive recipe given to us: “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”. Unfortunately, Kina Lillet stopped being produced in the 1970s. Since then, Bond lovers and mixologists have bound together to either a) Track down a rare bottle, or b) Find a suitable alternative. As for A, the last known full bottle to exist sits in the Museum of the American Cocktail, but for B, they’ve collectively decided that Cocchi Americano is a great alternative (phew).
Ingredients (according to Bond, James Bond)
3 measures Gordon’s Gin
1 measure vodka
½ measure Cocchi Americano
A large slice of lemon peel for garnish
Method (according to Drinkers, The Three Drinkers)
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir well until ice-cold. We’re stirring rather than shaking, because shaking dilutes the Vesper too much in our opinion… sorry, James! Garnish with a large slice of lemon peel, got it?
Perfect Martini
In this sense, perfect does not mean ‘the best martini to exist ever’, it actually means that the cocktail has equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. The addition of the sweet vermouth makes this cocktail a little sweeter and gives it a beautiful amber colour. The Perfect martini makes a wonderful aperitif, but could also work as a tasty after dinner drink. Fun vermouth tip: keep the vermouth refrigerated after opening, as vermouth will oxidise and go bad after about a month!
Ingredients
50ml gin
15ml Dolin Vermouth Dry
15ml Antica Formula Carpano Vermouth
orange twist for garnish
Method
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice, stir well and strain into a cooled martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange and enjoy!
Gibson
The Gibson may have fallen a little out of fashion, but that doesn’t mean it can’t come back into fashion! Though it has a different name, a Gibson is really just a funky name for a martini that’s been garnished with a tiny pickled onion rather than olives or lemon peel. We have to admit, the white onion with the clear cocktail does look pretty stylish and the savoury onion gives the cocktail an umami undertone it might not get otherwise. Try this one out!
Ingredients
70ml Bombay Sapphire
15ml Dolin Vermouth Dry
mini pickled onions for the garnish
Method
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice, stir well and strain into a cooled martini glass. Garnish with a mini pickled onions and enjoy!
Breakfast Martini
The breakfast martini is an interesting take on a martini, namely because it uses a spoon of marmalade in its creation, but it is definitely worth a try. The trick to mastering this cocktail is using REALLY good marmalade (we’ve heard Paddington Bear gives out great recommendations). The result is an orangey treat you’ll be glad you took a risk on.
Ingredients
1 spoon marmalade
50ml gin
15ml Cointreau
15ml fresh lemon juice
orange peel twist for garnish
small triangle of toast for garnish
Method
Put the marmalade and gin in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and stir until dissolved (this might take a while). Add the other ingredients and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a twist of orange. Slot the tiny toast onto the rim of the glass and enjoy!
French Martini
Oui oui mon ami, c'est le martini français! This delicious, fruity treat will transport you all the way to France with the inclusion of French raspberry liqueur Chambord. We’re not too sure how native pineapples are to France, but all geographical qualms will melt away once you taste the fresh, juiciness of this drink.
Ingredients
60ml vodka
15ml Chambord
45ml pineapple juice (not from concentrate)
slice of pineapple for garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple. Tchin tchin!
Espresso Martini
You know it, you love it, it’s the in your face bang slam cocktail that the world can’t get enough of, The Espresso Martini. There’s something about that beautiful white foam that glistens on top of this cocktail that is nothing short of mesmerising, and really impressive to serve to friends. If you’ve been too afraid to venture into espresso territory before, why not start now? We assure you that with the right ingredients, the Espresso Martini is nowhere near as scary as it might seem…
Ingredients
40ml Black Cow Vodka
25ml Kahlúa coffee liqueur
25ml cooled espresso
½ tbsp simple syrup
three coffee beans, for garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans. Enjoy!
Pornstar Martini
Oh come on, you know we had to include this one. Just the smell of passion fruit liqueur can get you thinking about nights full of raucous fun and bad jokes. You may want to check the stability of your kitchen table before you start serving these, however, as dancing is guaranteed. With the prosecco shot accompaniment, we like to sip it while we drink the cocktail - but you do you.
Ingredients
1 ripe passion fruit, halved
30ml vanilla vodka
30ml Passoa
10ml lime juice
10ml sugar syrup
prosecco, to serve
Method
Scoop the seeds from half of the passion fruit into the tin of a cocktail shaker, add the vodka, passion fruit liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup. Add a handful of ice and shake well, strain into a coupe and float half a passionfruit on top. Serve with a shot of prosecco and worry about when to drink it...