How to drink a Martini: two right ways

Italian vermouth Martini has tens, even hundreds of millions of fans around the world. But have you ever thought about how to drink a Martini?? First, let's take a look at the drink..

Over the more than one and a half century history of this drink, few but firmly established rules for its use have been developed. They can be divided into 3 groups. The first of them is common to any type of Martini consumed in its pure form. The second one has to do with the peculiarities inherent in a particular type of this drink, in particular, it contains some recommendations on how to drink Martini Bianco or, say, Martini Rosso. The third one concerns the use of Martini in mixes and cocktails.

Martini in its purest form

First of all, it should be borne in mind that any Martini is a natural aperitif, so it is advisable to serve it before meals.

Next, it is worth considering that the Martini should be slightly chilled. Its temperature should not exceed 15°C, but you should not lower the bar below 10°C. The ideal temperature is 12°C, at which the drink reveals the fullness of its flavor bouquet and acquires a light and delicate aroma. Of course, it is advisable to chill the entire bottle at once without compromising the pristine purity of the drink. But if there is a person in the company who is currently contraindicated to drink cold, the rest of us can meet him or her halfway by adding a few ice cubes to their glasses of unchilled Martini.

In addition, do not forget that there are special cone-shaped glasses for martinis, also called cocktail glasses. But if you don't have them at hand, then depending on the type of drink, you can use glasses for white or red wine. At the same time, a prerequisite is that they have a high stem. This will allow you to drink a Martini without warming it with the warmth of your palm.

This drink is best enjoyed slowly, savoring every sip. Accordingly, if you are served a Martini with a cocktail straw, it is better to put it aside as an unnecessary intermediary between you and the drink.

Martini in mixes and cocktails

As an element of youth parties, Martini is widely used in various mixes and cocktails. But there are some subtleties here too.

Martini Rosso and Bianco are best suited for mixes. The first one is most often mixed with lemon, orange, pineapple or cherry juice (or better - fresh) in the ratio: two parts of Martini to one part of juice. The latter is usually mixed with tonic, soda or lemonade in a one-to-one ratio.

Martini Extra Dry is mostly used in cocktails. It is an integral ingredient in such canonical drinks as the 50/50 Martini, the Dry Martini and the Vodkatini. However, there are no fundamental restrictions on the use of other varieties of Martini in cocktails. For example, the famous Negroni cocktail is made on the basis of Martini Rosso, and Martini Bianco is a classic component of not only brandy cocktails, but also orange-cranberry Bianco Sunrise.

Species nuances and features

As you know, there are 7 varieties of Martini: Rosso, Extra Dry, Bianco, Rosato, Doro, Fiero and Gold. The use of some of them is associated with certain features. First of all, we are talking about the first three (oldest) varieties of the drink, the "youngest" of which, Bianco, has already exceeded 100 years.

For example, Martini Rosso, unlike other types of drink, is perfectly consumed in an unchilled form.

Martini Extra Dry can be used not only as an aperitif, but also as a table drink. White fish or some light salad is a perfect appetizer for it.

Martini Bianco goes well with most light aperitif snacks. In addition to the textbook olives, they include lemons, as well as virtually all sweet and sour fruits and berries. In this case, it is best if you throw olives or pieces of fruit directly into the glass or drop them there, strung on a skewer. There is also a very extravagant way to drink this type of Martini from the "love it or hate it" series: a slice of fresh onion or pickled onion is thrown into the glass with Bianco. After a few minutes of waiting, you can dare to sip the resulting drink and make an individual impression of it for the rest of your life.

Update: 19.07.2015

Category: Wine and Vermouth