Martini Myths
Martini myths – Well, there are many, but let’s dispel this one right off; Just because it’s served in a martini glass doesn’t mean you can call it a martini. Hell, before you know it, all the Carrie Bradshaw wannabes will start calling the Cosmo a freakin’ cranberry martini.
1 – The only drinks that can be legitimately called a martini are made with either gin or vodka, a splash of dry white vermouth (to taste, of course) and an olive garnish. A lemon twist can be substituted for the garnish, but if a pearl onion is used, the drink then officially becomes a Gibson. I don’t make the rules, but I’ll sure as hellfire help to enforce ‘em.
Now, vodka has become acceptable over the years, but the true original martini was made with gin. The vodka martini is an Americanized version of the gin martini; America tends to take the best that other regions have to offer and make it slightly better, it’s just what we do. So yes, the vodka martini is better than a gin martini, cuz, well… Gin tastes like ass!
Shaken, not stirred
2 – The martini of choice for James Bond really is a vodka martini, shaken not stirred; Hell everybody knows that. But did you know… The brand of vodka ordered in Ian Fleming’s novels is Smirnoff. Smirnoff is actually a quite tasty vodka, but one would be correct in assuming that a sophisticated British spy could certainly do better than a ‘call’ liquor. Hell, even Stoli would be an upgrade!