Classic Martini
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Classic Martini
Recipe by Ailsa Brown
Shaken or stirred? With vodka or gin? An olive, or a twist of lemon? Few drinks have caused as much debate – or as many hangovers – as the Martini. Thought to have been invented around 1860, this crisp, refreshing drink famously contains just two ingredients – gin (our favourite) or vodka, and the fortifed wine, vermouth
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minsTotal time: 
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Ailsa Brown
Ailsa is our former Food Assistant. She loves creating delicious food that can be whipped up without a fuss and is always thinking about her next meal. She has a thing for pickles, anchovies and Japanese street food.
See more of Ailsa Brown’s recipes
Ailsa Brown
Ailsa is our former Food Assistant. She loves creating delicious food that can be whipped up without a fuss and is always thinking about her next meal. She has a thing for pickles, anchovies and Japanese street food.
See more of Ailsa Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 100ml gin, or vodka if you prefer
- 50ml dry vermouth
- 2 pitted queen olives, or twists of lemon peel
Step by step
- Place 2 Martini glasses in the freezer to chill, preferably an hour in advance.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the gin and vermouth, tweaking the ratios according to your taste; the more gin you add, the drier and stronger the drink will taste. Stir vigorously and strain into the frozen glasses.
-
Garnish with an olive or a twist of lemon.TipMaster a classic cocktail, then experiment with different flavours:
Dirty Martini
Make as in the main recipe, adding 1 tbsp olive brine to the shaker. Garnish with more olives.
Sloe Gin Martini
Use 50ml sloe gin, 50ml dry vermouth and 50ml red vermouth, and a twist of orange peel.
Millionaire's Martini
For a decadent edge, add a splash of Champagne after straining into glasses.
