The martini is a survivor, and famed for it.
Few cocktails carry themselves with such swagger. They were praised by the likes of Hemingway as his characters battled through war torn lands. They substituted for lunch in the Madison Avenue heyday. They are also at home alongside gowns and tuxedos at the finest gaming tables of Europe, perched in crystalline glory atop a tall, thin stem.
And yet the martini is a relatively simple thing — a swirl of vermouth and a mind-numbing pour of gin garnished with olives or a twist.
“Technically it’s an overpour,” said Nick Bruce-Boehler of Upper Lake’s Blue Wing Saloon, referring to the amount of alcohol packed by the classic. “Everybody wanted the most bang for the buck, so the martini evolved.”
Well, there is much debate over the cocktail’s origin. Some associate it with the California town of Martinez, others with a miner of the same name. Still others reference the vermouth label, Martini & Rossi.
But Bruce-Boehler is right, the martini is still evolving.
Once equal parts gin and vermouth, the perfect martini nowadays involves no more than a dash of the dry and complex fortified wine, swirled around the glass and disposed of before the gin comes into play. Hemingway preferred more than 20 parts gin to 1 part vermouth. In fact, when he ordered this proportion he called it a “Montgomery,” a little dig at the numbers British general Bernard Montgomery (of “Patton” fame) needed in his favor before attacking the Germans.
“A little vermouth goes a long way,” Bruce-Boehler observed.
Not only has vermouth fallen out of favor, more and more bar patrons replace gin with the cleaner burn of vodka. In fact, Blue Wing’s manager sees nights when all martinis ordered involve the latter.
“Tradition was important, but it’s gone by the wayside,” he said.
Perhaps the problem started with James Bond and his oft-repeated request of “shaken, not stirred.” Purists, you see, will pour the gin over ice and give it a quick and harmless stir to chill the spirit. Shaken gin and ice causes “bruising,” an imprecise term for watering down the alcohol and the unique, juniper savor.
Vodka, on the other hand, tends to suffer less from a stiff shake.
Shaking presents a smoother flavor, Bruce-Boehler admits, but one “a little dumbed down.”
Even the container is changing over time. The mannered tall stemmed cocktail glass is giving way to a nub base version, for the simple reason that, after a good many martinis have been downed, delicate glasses tend to end up in shattered pieces.
Despite decades of evolution and a little popularizing, the martini remains a stately and respected cocktail. A potent one, as well.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
