Martini (cocktail)

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Dry Martini Cocktail with Olive
The martini as a cocktail symbol

The martini is a classic cocktail . When dry, tart and strong alcoholic short drink it is one of the appetizers and is usually made of gin and dry French vermouth (engl./frz. Vermouth ), rarely of vodka and vermouth (also Wodkatini called). The cocktail should not be confused with the Italian vermouth brand of the same name from Martini & Rossi .

As one of the world's most famous cocktail is the Martini, especially in the variant as Dry Martini (cocktail) in the conically shaped martini glass with olive, both symbolically as a symbol of cocktails and bars such. This glass shape has been common since the 1930s and is also known as a cocktail tip , Martinikelch or English (Y-shaped) martini glass .

In a broader sense, in some cases, especially in the 1990s, other short drinks are also referred to as “martinis” or have the ending -tini because they are served in a martini glass, although they have no taste or taste with the classic aperitif made from gin and vermouth have little to do. Examples are the Apple Martini ("Appletini") or the Espresso Martini .

Origin and history

Martinez

The origins of martini are unknown and the subject of numerous legends; Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown put together a top ten alleged martini inventors in their 1997 book Shaken Not Stirred . Its origins are believed to be in the United States . Vermouth deliveries to North America have been guaranteed since 1851, but it was not until 1880 that bartenders there added vermouth to the then well-known “gin cocktail”. The term "cocktail" was established in the first half of the 19th century in the Anglo-Saxon-speaking area, starting from the US east coast, and initially described highly alcoholic mixtures of any spirit , water and sugar that were flavored with cocktail bitters . The Turf Club , the Marguerite , the Manhattan and finally the Martinez are considered forerunners and close “relatives” of the Martini Cocktail . The latter was first mentioned in writing in 1884 by O. H. Byron. The invention of the "Martinez" is often attributed to the New York bartender "Professor" Jerry Thomas , but the drink was only posthumously included in the revised edition of his "Bartender's Guide and Bon Vivant's Companion" published in 1887. In addition to sweet Old Tom Gin or Dutch Genever and Italian (red) vermouth, Thomas' Martinez also contained Maraschino and Boker's Bitters . In the first edition of his book from 1862 the drink was not yet included.

The first written mention of a cocktail called "Martini" can be found in the year 1888 by Harry Johnson:

"Martini Cocktail (Use large bar glass): 2 or 3  dashes of gum syrup (be careful in not using too much), 2 or 3 dashes of bitters [...], 1 dash of curacao or absinthe , if required, ½ wine- glass of old Tom gin, ½ wine-glass of vermouth. Stir up well with a spoon, strain it into a fancy cocktail glass, put in a cherry or a medium-sized olive, if required, and squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top, and serve. "

Martini cocktail (prepare in a large bar glass): 2 or 3 dashes of sugar syrup (with gum arabic , note) (dose carefully), 2 or 3 dashes of bitters, 1 dash of curacao or absinthe , if desired, ½ wine glass of Old Tom Gin, ½ Wine glass of vermouth. Mix well and strain into a cocktail bowl, add a cherry or, if desired, a medium-sized olive, spray off with the lemon zest, serve. "

- Harry Johnson : The New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual, 1888

Johnson's recipe calls for (slightly sweetened) Old Tom Gin ; In addition, the use of Hollands Gin was common, which is similar to today's genever and is very different from today's London Dry Gin . Towards the end of the 19th century, cocktails became less sweet: thanks to improved distillation techniques, it was no longer necessary to conceal excessively spicy spirits with sweet vermouth or liqueurs such as Curaçao. As early as 1895 a martini recipe appeared that did not require a liqueur; this martini cocktail was prepared with Old Tom Gin and Italian vermouth in a ratio of 2: 1. In addition, there were only three dashes of orange bitters , decorated with lemon zest and cocktail cherry . Later, the slightly sweet Old Tom Gin was increasingly replaced by the modern (London) Dry Gin and finally red Italian vermouth by dry French Dry Vermouth .

The term Dry Martini Cocktail first appeared in a French bar book in 1904. In 1922, a bar book widely used at the time recommended mixing gin and vermouth in a ratio of 2: 1. In general, the preferred martinis have become more and more "drier" over the decades, as the gin content increased and the vermouth content decreased. The spread of the drink in the United States was also helped by the fact that the simple basic spirit gin was immediately available again in large quantities after the end of Prohibition , while American whiskey required a longer barrel aging. Since the 1930s, cocktail shakers and other mixing accessories specifically for the preparation of martinis have also spread in private households , and the now iconic martini glasses also appeared. In the 1940s, orange bitters finally disappeared as an ingredient in dry martini.

The martini experienced another change when vodka became popular in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s as part of an advertising campaign by the Smirnoff company . Since then, gin has often been partially or completely replaced by vodka. From the 1950s to the 1980s, so-called three martini lunches were common in the business environment in the United States, i.e. lunches at which several martinis were consumed during the day, which were deductible as business expenses.

In the 1990s, fruity and sweet drinks became increasingly popular in the USA and Europe. Although they were called "Martini", the only thing in common with the original, apart from the name, was that they were served in a martini cup. The alcoholic base of these fruit martinis is mostly vodka.

In the years around the turn of the millennium, there was a return to classic and historical recipes. The Martinez can now be found on numerous bar menus again, and a Martini is often stirred up with cocktail bitters again .

The dry martini

Probably the most famous form of the drink is the classic Dry Martini (or Martini Dry ), which, according to Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown, consists of London Dry Gin , as little vermouth as possible and an olive or lemon peel as a garnish - nothing else. The International Bartenders Association has the Dry Martini in its recipe list in the category "The Unforgettables" with the following preparation:

Dry martini

  • 6 cl gin
  • 1 cl dry vermouth ( Dry vermouth )

Put all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice cubes, stir well and strain into a chilled Martini dish . Squirt oil from a piece of lemon peel onto the drink or garnish with an olive. In an earlier version of the recipe (until around 2012) the Martini (Dry) was mixed in a ratio of 5.5: 1.5 and the preparation with vodka - the Vodka Martini - was named as a variant.

preparation

Dry martini with lemon zest
Frosted martini glass (the goblet was cooled down with a CO 2 glass freezer)

The composition and preparation of a martini are highly controversial among its fans and are discussed passionately, preferably accompanied by the enjoyment of it. “ Everyone agrees on one thing: the most important thing when preparing and serving a martini is style. “There is also agreement that the few ingredients should be of the best quality.

A martini is traditionally stirred in a mixing glass , as the spirits combine easily and the drink stays clear in the glass. James Bond, however, prefers his martinis shaken in a cocktail shaker. As a result, the drink gets cold more quickly, but is initially milky-cloudy in the glass and only clears over time when the small air bubbles rise. In order to hold back the smallest ice splinters, an additional fine sieve can be used when straining a shaken martinis (technically, double straining ).

A scientific study of the different mixing methods took place in the laboratory using the luminol test: Shaken martinis have a stronger antioxidant effect than stirred martinis . This is mainly caused by the vermouth portion, but only the mixture with gin leads to an optimal result (maximum antioxidant effect).

Since a martini is always served “straight up”, i.e. the ice used remains in the mixing bowl when it is strained , the cocktail glasses are usually pre-chilled (frozen). Special martini chillers , i.e. cups without a stem that rest in a container previously filled with crushed ice after serving, are less common (see illustration below). In some cases, the ingredients and / or the mixing utensils are also cooled before preparation. The aroma and taste of the cocktail depend not least on the cold. If this is not achieved, a martini can taste bland, which can happen if the ice cream is too little or too warm, or if it is stirred or shaken too briefly. Too little or too warm ice leads to the drink being heavily watered down by the meltwater. Conversely, a certain amount of melt water is definitely desirable and contributes to a rounded taste.

There are two classic martini toppings. Often, in is Lake (not in oil) inserted, green Olive used with stone, at a cocktail Pick attached is placed in the drink. The use of olives stuffed (with red pepper paste) is considered a faux pas . You can also use several olives and put them skewered over the edge of the glass, less often they are served separately. The second option is to garnish with a piece of lemon peel , especially if the gin used has citrus notes or if orange bitters were also used when mixing . To do this, a piece of peel the size of a thumb is cut very thinly with a zest ripper or a peeler . Before the zest lands on the edge of the glass or in the drink, the ends are twisted against each other directly above the liquid, so that the essential oils from the bowl wet the surface of the cocktail. In technical terms, the drink is "hosed down" ( twist ). Often the edge of the glass is briefly rubbed with the yellow side of the zest.

Vermouth share

Dry Martini in a Martini Chiller , with orange bitters , French vermouth and gin

In the specialist literature, the (dry) martini is often given a mixing ratio ( gin to vermouth ) of 5 cl: 1 cl or 6: 1, there is often talk of a dash of vermouth or the vermouth quantity remains open. Purists, on the other hand, only use a touch of wormwood, for example an ice-cold glass only moistened with wormwood. In the early days of martinis, however, a significantly higher amount of vermouth was also common, sometimes sweet Italian vermouth was also used, and a few drops of orange bitters were added. Countless variations differ mainly in sweetness and flavor. The gin-to-vermouth ratio varies between 1: 1 and 15: 1, and some special mixtures have their own names. So did Ernest Hemingway liked to order a martini with 15 parts gin and one part vermouth and "Montgomery" called (after the British general who, as he said, the enemy would only fight if he had to summon fifteen soldiers against an enemy). In fact, Harry's Bar serves the Montgomery at 10: 1 today.

Occasionally, the ice cubes are only moistened with wormwood ("perfumed"): you put a little wormwood over the scrambled ice and pour it off again immediately with the melt water before the gin is added. This is demonstrated in the film Colossus as the “correct” preparation.

Beyond Dry, there are no limits to drought. Some demand, not always taken seriously, “only to let the shadow of a vermouth bottle fall on the mixing glass” or to “look at a vermouth bottle while pouring it and bow to France”.

"The driest martini is a bottle of good gin that once stood next to a vermouth bottle."

- Winston Churchill

Variations and related recipes

In addition to the dry martini, there are also variants with other vermouth combinations:

  • Sweet Martini with gin and sweet (red, Italian) instead of dry (white, French) vermouth
  • Perfect Martini (also Perfect Cocktail ) with gin and equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth

Prominent martini lovers like FD Roosevelt made the dirty martini famous, for which you add a dash of salty olive brine to a dry martini, which clouds the drink. The numerous other variants include:

  • Gibson (with pearl onion instead of olive)
  • Vodkatini or vodka martini with vodka instead of gin
  • Smokey Martini with a splash of single malt whiskey
  • Martini on the rocks on ice with lemon zest in a whiskey glass
  • Martini Rolls Royce with Bénédictine and lemon zest

The martini became famous not least because of the character of James Bond . His well-known saying “shaken, not stirred” appears in the first Bond book Casino Royale from 1953, when author Ian Fleming had his novelist order a very unusual martini. At that time, martinis made from gin and French vermouth, which were served in a cocktail bowl or a cocktail tip, were common; There was no agreement on the question of "shaken or stirred". Bond, on the other hand, ordered gin and vodka in combination with the French aperitif Lillet , the drink should also be shaken, served in a champagne goblet and garnished with a piece of lemon peel. Bond later christened this variant " Vesper ", after his playmate Vesper Lynd. The recipe is also cited in the 2006 film adaptation . In the first Bond film, James Bond 007, Dr. No from 1962, the famous phrase falls twice; once a waiter speaks to him, once Dr. No. In other books and films, James Bond consumes countless other martinis in various varieties, including vodka martinis that are often shaken due to product placement by vodka manufacturers. It is noticeable that in the films, in addition to champagne , vodka martinis predominate, while Bond uses Scotch whiskey (often as Scotch & Soda ) or bourbon whiskey more often in the books .

Anecdotes

When asked how many martini cocktails to drink during a celebration, the quote from Dorothy Parker from the 1920s is often used:

“I like to have a martini,
two at the very most.
After three I'm under the table,
after four I'm under my host! "

A German (not literally translated) version by Annette Hahn reads:

“I like to drink martinis,
but two are served enough.
because after three I'm under the table
after four under the landlord. "

literature

  • Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown: Mixed, not stirred: the Martini book . Europaverlag, Munich, Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 .
  • Barnaby Conrad III: The Martini . Chronicle Books, San Francisco 1995, ISBN 0-8118-0717-7 .
  • Gary Regan, Mardee Haidin Regan: The Martini Companion. A connoisseur's guide . Running Press, Philadelphia, London 1997, ISBN 0-7624-0061-7 .
  • Lowell Edmunds: Martini, Straight Up: The Classic American Cocktail . Johns Hopkins University Press , Baltimore, London 1998, ISBN 0-8018-5971-9 .

Web links

Commons : Martini (cocktail)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. German edition: Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown: Mixed, not stirred: the Martini book Europa Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 , p. 23f.
  2. a b c Stephan Berg: The metamorphosis of a classic. How vermouth crowned the martini cocktail. In: Mixology  - Magazine for Bar Culture, No. 3, June / July 2007, pp. 34–36.
  3. ^ Angus Winchester: The Martini Empire. The king of cocktails receives a pedigree. In: Mixology -Magazin 6/2010 (December 2010), p. 18f, accessed online on October 4, 2011.
  4. Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown: Mixed, Not Stirred: The Martini Book . Europa Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 , p. 30f.
  5. ^ Harry Johnson: The New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual; Or: How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style . 1888. Translation by user: Mangomix .
  6. George Kappeler: Modern American Drinks. How to Mix and Serve all Kinds of Cups and Drinks . The Merriam Company, New York 1895, p. 38.
  7. Herry McElhone: Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails. Dean & Son Ltd, London 1922, p. 55.
  8. Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown: Mixed, not stirred: the Martini book . Europa Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 , p. 7.
  9. a b Dry Martini (translated from English), accessed October 13, 2013.
  10. Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown: Mixed, Not Stirred: The Martini Book . Europa Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 , p. 23.
  11. M. Hirst, JR Trevithick: Shaken, not stirred: bio-analytical study of the antioxidant activities of martinis . In: British Medical Journal. 319 (1999), pp. 1600-1602; PMID 10600955 , PMC 28303 (free full text).
  12. Mark Benecke: Laughing Science: From the secret archives of the fun Nobel Prize. Bastei Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2006, ISBN 3-404-60556-X , pp. 201-206.
  13. For example Uwe Voigt: The great textbook of bar customers . 2nd Edition. Matthaes Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, p. 117.
  14. Jens Hasenbein, Helmut Adam: Cocktails and Drinks. Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-8338-0304-5 , p. 26.
  15. Peter Glückstein: Cocktails . Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-87584-955-8 , p. 48.
  16. ^ Peter Roth, Carlo Bernasconi: The Mix Book of the Century . Falken, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-8068-7426-3 , p. 37.
  17. ^ Charles Schumann: American Bar . Wilhelm Heyne-Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-453-04368-5 , p. 136.
  18. a b Arrigo Cipriani: Harry's Bar . Piper, Munich / Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-492-23965-X , p. 179.
  19. Cf. as a contemporary source: David Embury: The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks . Reprint of the 1948, 1952, 1953 and 1958 editions. Mud Puddle Books, New York 2008, ISBN 978-1-60311-164-5 , pp. 107, 116-118.
  20. James Bond: 10 facts about 007 and drink - Telegraph. In: telegraph.co.uk. April 4, 2012, accessed March 2, 2015 .
  21. David Leigh: What does James Bond drink? In: thejamesbonddossier.com. June 14, 2020, accessed March 2, 2015 .
  22. James Bond memes: Drinking for England: analysis of 007's alcohol consumption. In: jamesbondmemes.blogspot.de. November 18, 2011, accessed March 2, 2015 .
  23. Translated from the American by Annette Hahn in: Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown: Mixed, not stirred: the Martini book . Europa Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-203-80051-9 , p. 44. The English “host” was freely translated here as “Wirt”, literally it corresponds more to the German “host”.