Martini

Martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet", and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude".

History

The exact origin of the martini is unclear. In 1863, an Italian vermouth maker started marketing their product under the brand name of Martini, after its director Alessandro Martini, and the brand name may be the source of the cocktail's name.

Another popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez served sometime in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez. Alternatively, the people of Martinez say the drink was first created by a bartender in their town, Julio Richelieu, in 1861.

Preparation and variations

The martini is a mix of gin and vermouth with a ratio that varies according to taste, from a very dry martini (with very little vermouth) to a wet martini (with a lot of vermouth). It is traditionally served in a martini glass and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist.

There are many variations of the martini, including the dirty martini (with a splash of olive brine), the perfect martini (with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth), and the Gibson (a martini garnished with a pickled onion).

In popular culture

The martini is well known in popular culture, largely because of James Bond. In the films, Bond often orders a "vodka martini, shaken not stirred".

See also

• List of cocktails
• Cocktail glass

References

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