Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

THE LAST REFLECTION
Making a Martini
By ANNE WOLFE POSTIC
“This is not the first time you’ve made
a martini, is it?”
No, it was not, and the inquiry from our neighbor
was charming. I adore a nice martini, and have been
making them for longer than I’d like to admit. There
are few things more delightful than having a few
people over for drinks and snacks. Simplicity is key,
and a martini leaves a host free to enjoy her guests
instead of laboring behind the bar.
Bartending my way through graduate school, I concluded that anyone
who asked for a very, very dry martini really wanted a shot. They just
didn’t want to admit it. Some of those barflies wanted a martini so dry
that all a bartender had to do was think about vermouth while pouring a
slug of chilled vodka or gin into a fancy glass. Only olives differentiated
the cocktail from a shot. Bartenders work for tips, so I served them with
a smile, suppressing the urge to call it like I saw it.
Those barflies are owed an apology because, boy, was I ever wrong.
Dry or not, a good martini is a true delight. Though the recipe is simple,
there are options.
Shaken or stirred. Experts say James Bond ruined this for everyone.
Cocktails that contain mostly alcohol should be stirred so as not to dilute
the taste. Only cocktails with egg white, fruit juices, or syrup should be
shaken to blend the multiple ingredients and prevent separating. I prefer
my martini stirred, but if you like a slightly diluted, very chilled martini,
shake away! It’s your drink, and you should enjoy it because you’re only
having one (more on that later).
Vodka or gin. Gin is the classic choice, but a lot of people prefer vodka,
including yours truly. Besides, there’s always room in the freezer for a
bottle of vodka, especially if you keep it there to make pie crust. (Hot
tip: Use chilled vodka instead of water for a flakier crust. The alcohol
evaporates in cooking, limiting gluten development that can make pastry
tough. But I digress.) Once again, as this is your cocktail, make it with
whatever liquor you prefer. This is a good time to splurge on something
good, like Grey Goose or potato-based Chopin. You know what else
works? Good old Smirnoff.
Dry or very dry. Or not so dry. A dry martini contains very little vermouth,
usually about a fifth of the volume of vodka or gin. For a bonedry
martini, splash some vermouth into the glass and dump it out. I like
mine dry-ish, about one part vermouth to four or five parts vodka. Noilly
Prat is perfectly lovely and not terribly expensive. Bonus: Keep it in the
fridge to use when a recipe calls for white wine, and you don’t want to
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open a bottle. Though once the vermouth is out, you might want to sip a
martini while you cook, an experience I personally enjoy.
Dirty or not. A dirty martini contains a splash of olive brine. Yum.
Olives and olive brine. Look for olives with no added oil because who
wants a cocktail that looks like a chemical spill? Pimiento stuffed olives
are classic, but olives stuffed with blue cheese, jalapeños, or garlic are a
delight. Just make sure to check the label for added oil.
For a crowd, multiply the recipe and serve in a small pitcher, which
you can keep in the fridge or on ice. Mix the vermouth and gin or vodka,
then leave a pitcher of olive brine on the side, as well as olives and possibly
a few twists of lemon to garnish according to individual preferences.
Store any leftovers in a thermos in the freezer for when you want
a surprise martini.
Given its alcohol content, a martini should be savored. You are too
sophisticated for a shot. But make it as large as you like, especially if you
plan to sip it for an hour while you cook like I do. (Add ice if it gets too
warm.) I never have more than one because this is not a drink for a meal.
It’s an aperitivo, meant to be enjoyed on its own or with a light snack.
One Large Martini for the Chef
Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka or gin from the freezer
1/3 to 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce olive brine
1 or more blue cheese stuffed olives
Instructions:
Pour vodka or gin and vermouth into a tall glass over ice.
Stir or swirl the glass gently until completely blended and icy cold.
Strain into a small glass, chilled if you’re fancy.
Add olive brine and olives.
Extra credit: Enjoy your aperitivo like an Italian, served
with a handful of potato chips on the side, preferably
in a little sterling silver bowl, like that one you got
from your grandmother that you never use. Cin cin! •