dry martini

IT BEGINS WITH GIN The dry Martini has been written about and debated more than any other cocktail, but one thing we should agree on: the drink is composed of gin, dry vermouth and garnish. (Traditionalists might defend adding a dash of orange bitters.) There was a time in the 1990s when ordering a dry Martini in a bar was more likely to get you vodka, a delicious cocktail to be certain, but not a dry Martini. With the renewed appreciation for fine gin, Bombay Sapphire® - created from a 1761 recipe of 10 hand - selected botanicals - is the perfect foundation for an authentic dry Martini.

THE DRY MARTINI TODAY

Fill a mixing glass or shaker with ice and splash over the vermouth. stir once, then strain the excess liquid, leaving the ice, in the glass. Pour over the Bombay Sapphire® and stir carefully but rapidly for 20–30 seconds until ice-cold. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with lemon zest.

FRESH TAKES

Try these simple ways to take this classic cocktail in new directions.
  1. Get creative with olive garnishes, stuffing them with cheese or seafood.
  2. Substitute 1 part Grey Goose® Vodka for 1 part of Bombay Sapphire® to make a Vesper.
  3. Infuse Bombay Sapphire® with additional herbs and spices to create your own bespoke gin.
  4. Enliven the aromatics by smacking a sprig of herbs between your palms and garnishing with it.

HISTORY OF THE DRY MARTINI

1650 In the search for a cure for gastric and kidney disorders, Dutch physician Franciscus de La Boie, also known as Dr. Sylvius, of the University of Leyden, infuses juniper berries into spirits to create "jenever," the forerunner of modern gin.

1813 Legend has it that Joseph Noilly, an herbalist, invents the French style of vermouth, also known as "dry vermouth," by combining wines from white grape varieties found in the Marseille area with herbs and spices, perfecting the recipe for Noilly Prat.

1887 In the new edition of Bartender's Guide, Jerry Thomas includes a recipe for Martinez, a cocktail of sweetened "Old Tom" gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters - a transitional drink between the Manhattan and the Martini.

1906 Louis Muckensturm, writing in Louis' Mixed Drinks, is the first to describe a "dry Martini" in the English language. His recipe includes dry gin, French vermouth, curaçao and orange bitters. Muckensturm suggests that an olive is an appropriate garnish for extra dry cocktails, but only if wiped clean of all brine.

1933 On December 5, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims that the 21st Amendment has been ratified, ending the nationwide prohibition of alcohol. F.D.R., an avid amateur bartender, was said to celebrate Repeal with one of his personal favorites, a dry Martini

1934 William Powell, starring as Nick Charles in The Thin Man, instructs the bartenders on dry Martinis: "The important thing is the rhythm! Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now, a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry Martini you always shake to waltz time."

1964 Starring in Goldfinger as James Bond, who enjoys both Martinis and vodka Martinis, Sean Connery delivers the trademark phrase, "Martini. Shaken, not stirred," earning the Martini a place in the American Film Institute's top 100 movie quotations in cinema.

2012 Beginning with the proven dry Martini duo of Bombay Sapphire® and vermouth, David Wolowinyk of Canada creates the Beidl cocktail, with infusions of Moroccan saffron, ginseng and mint tea, to earn the title Bombay Sapphire® World's Most Imaginative Bartender.