The Martini

I like to have a martini,

Two at the very most.

After three I'm under the table,

after four I'm under my host.

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

Alright here it is...the long awaited post about The Martini.

A friend of mine made a comment about how she couldn't wait until I blogged about it. So here it is...
I needed to do a little research about the history of the martini, so here goes nothing...

There are a number of differing theories on who invented the martini and when. It has, however, been agreed that the martini was most likely invented in America and is one of the country's many invented cocktails.

There are a number of people who claim to be the inventors of this favored drink. But none of their recipes are like the Martini we know today. There is record of a drink called the Martinez from all the way back in 1962. The recipe for this drink included 4 parts red, sweet Vermouth to 1 part Gin, and was garnished with a cherry. This might be the first version of Martini.

There are also a number of legends attached to the birth of the Martini. Some of them include the following:

Among the number of people who claim inventing the Martini, there is also a place that claims to be the birthplace of this drink. There is in fact, a plaque on the north-east corner of the intersection of Alhambra Avenue and Masonic Street, in Martinez, California which commemorates the birth of the Martini. Legend has it that in Julio Richelieu's saloon in Martinez, California, around the year 1870, Julio was requested to make a cocktail for a visiting gold miner. Julio made a concoction and dropped an olive into the drink before serving it to the customer. When the drink was well received, he named in after his town.

A similar story is also attributed to Jerry Thomas who worked as a bartender in the Occidental Hotel in California. Apparently, the Occidental Hotel was a favored watering hole for visitors who took the ferry from Montgomery Street to Martinez. Supposedly, Thomas created this drink for a visitor and named it after his destination. The recipe can be found in The Bon Vivant's Companion: Or How to Mix Drinks (1887 edition) which was authored by Jerry Thomas himself. The recipe included one dash of Bitters, two dashes of Maraschino, one wine glass of Vermouth, two jigs of ice and a pony of Old Tom Gin, served with a slice of lemon.

Current tastes prefer vodka instead of gin, but some say this is not a true martini but a vodkatini or a kangaroo.

I enjoyed doing some research about the martini, it is pretty interesting...but what about the classic martini glass? Here's what I found...

In a martini glass the long stem is a design element that will keep the martini cold without the addition of ice which would water down the drink. It also allows for holding the cocktail without allowing the heat of the hand to warm the drink, the wide brim was a design element that allows for surface tension which enhances the natural bouquet of the juniper berries in the gin.

OK enough about history of the martini...the glass it's put in...how about some favorite flavors.....I have to admit I had a "classic" martini once and didn't really like it, I will have to try it again soon.

But for now here are 2 of my favorite flavors......

Snowball Martini (my winter favorite) there are several variations of the recipe


2oz White Chocolate Godiva liquor
1oz Amaretto
1oz Malibu
Splash of cream


Directions
Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake and strain into a martini glass.

Italian Wedding Cake Martini

2oz vanilla vodka
1oz cranberry juice
1oz pineapple juice
1/2oz amaretto
1/2oz creme de cacao

Directions
Pour the vodka, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, amaretto, and creme de cacao into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into a chilled martini glass to serve.






I know this...In My Life having a cocktail is great, but sharing is better.