BENGALURU: James Bond’s favourite drink was the martini – shaken not stirred. In keeping with his choice, the new favourite in Bangalore bars, among both ladies and gentlemen, is the martini in all its various avatars, from vodka to gin martinis and dry martinis. Get the drift? The martini is made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist.
Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka instead of gin for the cocktail’s base spirit. The exact origin of the martini is unclear. The name may derive from the martini brand of vermouth.
Another theory suggests it may have evolved from a cocktail called Martinez served at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez. Residents of Martinez, however, say a bartender in their town created the drink. A dry martini is made with little or no vermouth.
Ordering a martini ‘extra dry’ will result in even less or no vermouth added. Over the course of the 20th century, the amount of vermouth steadily dropped. During the 1930s, the ratio was 3:1 (gin to vermouth), and during the 1940s, the ratio was 4:1. During the latter part of the 20th century, 5:1 or 6:1 the dry martini became the norm.
A really dry variation, The Montgomery can go all the way to 15:1 and is said to be named after Field Marshal Montgomery who is supposed to have insisted on attacking only when infi- nitely numerically superior. In recent years, a lot of bars have concocted many variations, using fresh fruits or flavour additives.
Green apple martini 2.0
Dirty martini