The Best Martini Recipes

The martini is a timeless classic. It never falls out of fashion as it is fashion. And there’s never a shortage of Bond films to remind us of its cool factor as well as to pique the interest of younger generations. Numerous theories on the cocktail’s origins exist, as do numerous versions and recipes. From gin or vodka to fruity or savory, the martini is a jack of all trades. Although, attaching “tini” to the end of a cocktail usually just means it’s served in a v-shaped glass, often called a martini glass, and has almost nothing to do with the classic martini cocktail.

Martini Terms

• Dry: a martini with more gin and less vermouth
• Dirty: a martini with dashes of olive brine
• Up: chilled in a cocktail shaker and strained into a martini glass
• On The Rocks: served over ice as opposed to being strained into a cocktail glass
• With a Twist: garnished with lemon zest
• In-and-Out: vermouth is swirled in the glass, then poured out prior to adding gin
• Gibson: a martini garnished with a cocktail onion
• Buckeye: a martini garnished with a black olive instead of green
• Kangaroo: uses vodka instead of gin
• Vesper: gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet vermouth, garnished with a twist of lemon peel (unfortunately, Kina Lillet no longer exists, but there are alternatives you can use)

Now that you’re well-versed in martini lingo, you can not only condescendingly correct your friends, but you’ll be able to wow them with the martini recipes below!

Shaken or Stirred, Martini is the word.

Classic Dry Martini

Ingredients

• 2 ½ oz gin
• ½ oz  dry vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Add the gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until very cold.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Dirty Martini

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 oz Gin or vodka
• 1/2 oz Dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz Olive brine
• Garnish: Olives

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
3. Garnish with 2 olives

Vesper

Ingredients

• 3 oz Gin
• 1 oz Vodka
• 1/2 oz Lillet blanc aperitif or Cocchi Americano
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir (or, if preparing the Bond way, shake)
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
3. Twist a slice of lemon peel over the drink, rub along the rim of the glass, and drop it in

Apple & Elderflower Martini

Ingredients

• 75 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Elderflower Liqueur
• 25 oz Apple juice, unsweetened and unfiltered
• Thin apple slice for garnish

Directions

1. Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled glass, garnish with the apple slice

Black Pepper Gibson

Ingredients

• Dry vermouth
• 4 oz Vodka
• Garnish: Cocktail onions and black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse a Martini glass with vermouth and set aside.
2. Add the vodka to a mixing glass and fill with ice.
3. Stir, and strain into the prepared glass.
4. Garnish with cocktail onions and freshly cracked black pepper.

Marguerite

Ingredients

• 1 oz Plymouth gin
• 1 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth
• 1 dash Regans Orange Bitters
• Garnish: 1 Lemon peel

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice.
2. Stir, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon peel and/or a small Spanish olive without pimento.

French Martini

Ingredients

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 3/4 oz Pineapple juice
• 1/4 oz Crème de cassis liqueur

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.
2. Fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Nutella & Bailey’s Martini

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup thickened cream
• 2 tsp Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 2 tsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1 1/2 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp vodka
• Ice cubes, to serve

Directions

1. Place milk, cream, cocoa, and 2 tablespoons Nutella in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until melted and smooth. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled.
2. Place hazelnuts on a plate. Spread the remaining Nutella on a small plate. Dip the rim of 2 x 2/3-cup-capacity martini glasses into Nutella. Dip in hazelnuts to coat.
3. Place Nutella mixture, Baileys, and vodka in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice cubes. Secure lid. Shake vigorously until well combined. Using a cocktail strainer, strain the mixture into prepared glasses. Serve.

Dirty Mary Martini

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 2 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 ¼ tsp celery salt, divided
• 2 tsp black sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup chilled tomato juice
• 4 oz. vodka
• 2 tsp dry vermouth
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 3 Tbsp liquid from jarred pimento-stuffed olives
• Olives, pepperoncini, marinated mushrooms, optional for garnish

Directions

1. Lightly brush the rims of each martini glass with lemon juice. On a small plate, mix together onion powder, 1 tsp celery salt, black sesame seeds, and black pepper. Place martini glasses upside-down on the plate to coat with spice mixture.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine tomato juice, vodka, dry vermouth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, remaining ¼ tsp celery salt, olive juice, and remaining lemon juice. Add ice, cover, and shake. Strain the mixture into the prepared glasses.
3. Garnish with skewers of olives, pepperoncini, and marinated mushrooms, if desired.

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