The vodka martini. A sophisticated classic that achieved super stardom when James Bond began ordering it "shaken, not stirred." (In case you were wondering what difference that makes,
Lucky Peach explains that shaking results in a colder, slightly more diluted drink.)
Vodka martinis can be made classically, dry, wet, or dirty by varying the amount of vermouth and the garnish. In the video below, Jamie Oliver demonstrates how to make each of these variants.
Vodka martiniIngredients5 parts high-quality vodka (1.7 ounces or 50 milliliters)
1 part dry vermouth (0.34 ounce or 10 milliliters)
Lemon peel
Directions1. Pour liquid into a mixing glass or shaker, then fill with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds or until the glass begins to get chilled.
2. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass.
3. Use a cheese slicer to shave a wide peel off of the lemon. Gently squeeze the peel around the rim of the martini glass to add a hint of essential oil to the rim, then twist the peel and drop into the glass. Serve immediately.
Dry: Coat inside of chilled martini glass with vermouth; pour out extra. Stir vodka with ice as above and pour into martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
Wet: Use .85 ounces (25 milliliters) of vermouth. Prepare as above.
Dirty: Crush 2 olives on the bottom of the mixing glass or shaker -- just 4 or 5 smudges with a muddler will do the trick. A dirty martini tastes best when on the wet side, so use .85 ounces (25 milliliters) of vermouth with the 1.7 ounces (50 milliliters) of vodka. Prepare as above, dropping a third olive into the martini glass before serving (no lemon).
