Regarding Martinis

[greglepore]

So yeah, if you read the chart, you have it down.

Can I buy you a dry, not dirty, martini or two? LOL

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Dixie

I like mine dry, no twist, blue cheese olives, and make it skate.

Looks like "make it skate" means "shake the hell out of it until there's little bits of ice floating on top". The James Bond "shaken not stirred" is not that vigorously shaken so you just end up with something really cold with minimal ice bits that have broken off.

When I tended bar, anything that was shaken was VIGOROUSLY shaken and had ice floating in it. Granted, most of that was shots or other sorts of drinks. I didn't make that many martinis, and most of them were dirty.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by gregpark

That's how I make them. Coat the glass with Vermouth from glass to chilled glass then dumped into the sink. And made with Gin, never Vodka. And shaken, not stirred. A proper martini should be ice cold

The man knows his Martinis.

[Zeke]

My parents were big drinkers and smokers in the Rat Pack days. Had a full bar set up in the house and well stocked. I remember things like an Old Fashioned or Rob Roy. So a Manhattan has variations but like a Whiskey Sour uses bourbon or rye while the Rob Roy has to be Scotch. You need to tell the bar guy which when you get into this area. I was at a pretty nice establishment a couple years ago where the family ran up a 1000 tab for dinner. One granddaughter is in corporate with the owners of this restaurant and others, but not a chain. They are all individual but spendy. Crab legs 100 and lobster 90, that sort of silliness.

So here I am, the vegetarian sitting around a big table with a few hundred dollars worth of meat spread out. But that's not the story. Since this was all fancy pants I decided to order one of my parents era drinks. I think it was a bourbon Manhattan — dry. I couldn't see around to the bar but I got the word later that they had a hard time even finding it in the recipe book. The waiter had no idea what his order was going back to the bar.

It was not very cold served up. Should have stuck to the old stand by, double Kentucky in a wet bucket. Steve will know that one.

This would be a single:



Fill the glass packed with ice and pour water in it. Toss the water and refill to top with whiskey. No garnish. An hour long drink that stays cold, or cold enough. I wasn't a snobbish drinker. Way back when I was single I would spend the early evening at the bar with 2 of those and hot bar food. Something like oysters Rockefeller when I ate stuff like that.

Probably why I don't eat stuff like that anymore. Doing my share of framing and concrete in those days I could eat anything and stay 6'1" 165. Now 6' and 160 wet.

[LWJ]

Funny story. My Cousin's wife was going on about her awesome Martini. I told her I didn't care for them. She said "we use garlic brine and spear a garlic and olive. It is totally different and super delicious." I told her I liked both garlic and olives and was excited. She talked it up a lot. We drove from Portland to N. California for a NYE party and I was very much looking forward to my drink. Cousin In Law was looking forward to opening my eyes to a new and better beverage. And when the time came? HOLY CRAP. It was the WORST most GODAWFUL sewage I have ever tasted.

Sort of like rinsing old gym socks and jocks in vodka...

Just nasty.

So no. I am not really a martini sort of guy.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Funny story. My Cousin's wife was going on about her awesome Martini. I told her I didn't care for them. She said "we use garlic brine and spear a garlic and olive. It is totally different and super delicious." I told her I liked both garlic and olives and was excited. She talked it up a lot. We drove from Portland to N. California for a NYE party and I was very much looking forward to my drink. Cousin In Law was looking forward to opening my eyes to a new and better beverage. And when the time came? HOLY CRAP. It was the WORST most GODAWFUL sewage I have ever tasted.

Sort of like rinsing old gym socks and jocks in vodka...

Just nasty.

So no. I am not really a martini sort of guy.

Anything with vodka tastes like gym socks. Shoulda been gin, the High God Savior King of mixing liquor...

[Jeff Higgins]

The only Martini I'm even remotely interest in:

[Shuie]

Yes

[faverymi]

Too hard for young dumb bartenders to remember anything.

I had bartenders at very reputable no cheap places look at recipes on google. I said hold on. Nevermind and I left. This happened to me twice this year.

Easier to poor an IPA from the fridge.

I don't drink beer, rarely do wine. But when I'm paying north of 20 bucks for a drink plus taxes and tip I expect perfection. It's their only job. No excuses.

That being said I have pivoted to being my own bartender. There are a few places that still excel but the drive is longer and I don't want to risk a DIU on my way back

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by Dixie

It could be worse. I'm also allergic to alcohol. It makes my legs spread. :0

Incorrigible.

[The Synergizer]

Is bartending a profession or is it just young dumb boys trying to get people drunk?
I think with the rise of microbrews and the popularity of them a "real" bartender is hard to find since they're just pouring beer. I thought there were actual schools at one time to learn bartending.

[NY65912]

I like a good traditional martini. I have been making special martinis throughout the summer. I make cucumber, watermelon, espresso, lemon drop and chocolate.

All are yummy on a hot summer evening. Cheers!

[Targa68]

I like both Vodka and Gin Martini's. I like to put 3/4 ice in a shaker with Vermouth. Shake it really good. Discard the Vermouth add Gin or Vodka. Shake it vigorously, pour with three olives. That's a nice dry Martini. Back in the day I would tell the Bartender in and out with the Vermouth. Don't forget the Gibson.

[Targa68]

Also The famous Gibtini

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by NY65912

I like a good traditional martini. I have been making special martinis throughout the summer. I make cucumber, watermelon, espresso, lemon drop and chocolate.

All are yummy on a hot summer evening. Cheers!

Yeah, too yummy for a martini.

A good martini is strong enough that you take a sip and let the warmth of the gin wash over you. Candying the drink up makes it too easy to get too much "warmth."

[Paul T]

I’m a big gimlet fan myself, but my go to cocktail is an old fashioned, or just plain bourbon on the rocks (I know this may annoy the aficionados, but I like my drinks cold).

[wdfifteen]

I'm with you, Paul, I like my drinks cold. I don't care what anyone says.

If I'm drinking Vodka, my go-to is 1/3 Sobieski vodka, 1/3 tonic, and 1/3 club soda. I can't get my head around the concept of a vodka martini.

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I'm with you, Paul, I like my drinks cold. I don't care what anyone says.

If I'm drinking Vodka, my go-to is 1/3 Sobieski vodka, 1/3 tonic, and 1/3 club soda. I can't get my head around the concept of a vodka martini.

I like the tonic/club mix as well with a vodka drink, cuts the sweetness of the tonic.

[herr_oberst]

I'm surprised that in all this talk of flavored martinis, no one has mentioned the advent of designer (spelled expensive) bitters.

Back in my drinkin' days, (thankfully years in the past); the Friday night martini used the tiniest dash of bitters from a bottle with a yellow label. It's pretty much all I knew. Now?
An explosion of flavor! (These are local to me. I'm sure there's millions of others out there)

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by The Synergizer

Is bartending a profession or is it just young dumb boys trying to get people drunk?
I think with the rise of microbrews and the popularity of them a "real" bartender is hard to find since they're just pouring beer. I thought there were actual schools at one time to learn bartending.

Opposite problem here. Every barkeep has some fancy "craft cocktail" specialty, most involving at least a little Amaro. Some are good, some not. Many don't have the trad cocktail vocab down, agree to that, but those that do really do.