The Dry Martini

It amazes me sometimes that I've made it to my late twenties without ever having a martini. Not even one of those crazy appletinis or cotton candy affairs they serve at TGI Fridays. Thankfully this book came along and Kingsley constantly claims that the Dry Martini is the greatest drink ever, so I felt behooved to try one, even if the drink he describes is more modernly known as the Gibson.

Dry Martini
4 Parts Gin
1 Part Dry Vermouth
Cocktail Onions

I made my drink stirred, not shaken, because I would rather trust the advice of a Mid Twentieth Century Humorist and not a fictional character. However, I did stick to the traditional recipe and not Amis's suggestion of 16 parts gin and 1 part vermouth--I didn't feel like trying to measure out a quarter second pour. Martini and Rossi was the vermouth, because although it's name has nothing to do with the drink, I am assured it is the right vermouth to use.

The dry martini is amazingly smooth for a drink containing mostly gin, but it is true that being chilled is key. As the drink warms it loses its drinkability, thankfully you have the cocktail onion to look forward to at the end. It's just too bad the drink has to be served in a glass so ostentatious, but then again, drink and oneupsmanship go hand in hand.