How to Order a Martini
Written by: MADELINE FERGUSON
The Martini. A classic drink with a vast history, from James Bond to Mad Men, you’ve seen how fancy a martini can look and you’ve probably also heard someone order one and thought - What the hell?
Well, I don’t want you to miss out on the fantastic, classy cocktail just because it feels intimidating to order because there are a LOT of variations on this classic so you will have to taste a few to find out what you like.
Here’s how to order a martini with confidence.
Start with the type of spirits - do you prefer Gin or Vodka? Martinis can be made with both. Gin offers a broader flavor profile and has a more floral or botanical taste, while vodka tastes more straight up, allowing the other ingredients (discussed below) to shine through.
The next ingredient is vermouth, more specifically dry vermouth or French vermouth. This adds a little more flavor to the simple cocktail. There are a few ways to order this.
If you want the standard amount of vermouth - say nothing
If you want less than standard - say dry
If you want barely any vermouth - say extra dry
Next, you can order your martini dirty - which means with olive juice. Extra dirty just means more olive juice. The addition of olive juice makes your drink more briney and less fresh tasting. This goes perfectly with oysters and seafood.
Most of the time a martini will come garnished with one or two green olives, but if that isn’t your style and you’re looking for something more bright and refreshing - order your drink “with a twist”. This means your drink will be served with a twisted piece of lemon rind after the lemon oils have been expressed on top of your drink to give it a bright citrus flavor and aroma.
And last, you can order your drink shaken or stirred. Stirred means the ingredients are mixed together with a spoon before it is poured into a chilled glass and shaken means the bartender will shake the drink in a cocktail shaker with ice before pouring it into a chilled glass. A shaken martini is slightly more watered down and can have small particles of ice floating around. It’s delectable on a hot day.
Fun fact: James Bond’s signature drink is a part vodka, part gin dry martini with a twist - shaken, not stirred.
Next week, the Utah Bee will have an article on the best places in SLC to practice your new martini ordering skills. Stay tuned!
