Martini - Shaken or stired?

KlodaX

People in movies always seem to be drinking Martini!



Is this Martini straight with two olives on a tooth pick?

When bond requests his shaken what is he mixing with it?

Gordon

http://www.cocktail.com/recipes/v/VodkaMartiniShaken.htm

KlodaX

From the Editor: In the movies, James Bond was a hard-core vodka martini drinker who prefered his cocktail "shaken, not stirred." Due to his popularity, the cocktail was the hottest drink of the 1960s. However, we believe his fondness for vodka was due in large part because Smirnoff bought the product placement rights in the films. Before the movie series almost all martinis were made exclusively with gin.

Thats cool... thanks Gordon.

Does this mean that the drink should be served straight? but because of bond it is served with vodka?

Gordon

I think the classic 'Martini' (or Vodka Martini) is as the link says - vermouth and vodka. Martini - the bottled drink is probably not such a mix, I could be wrong though. Hence if you want the drink that Bond drinked you would ask for a Vodka Martini. I think it means that the Martini was originally Gin and vermouth, but popularity from Bond led Martini to become a Vodka Martini.

Don't mix bottled Martini up with Vodka Martini, they are quite different I believe.

KlodaX

Thanks.

I'll give the bottled Martini ago. Seems more simple to begin with.

mycroft

KlodaX wrote:

From the Editor: In the movies, James Bond was a hard-core vodka martini drinker who prefered his cocktail "shaken, not stirred." Due to his popularity, the cocktail was the hottest drink of the 1960s. However, we believe his fondness for vodka was due in large part because Smirnoff bought the product placement rights in the films. Before the movie series almost all martinis were made exclusively with gin.

Thats cool... thanks Gordon.

Does this mean that the drink should be served straight? but because of bond it is served with vodka?

Yup I believe it was winston churchill who said a martini should be made with gin that has had a passing aquaintance with some vermouth.

Don't mix bottled Martini up with Vodka Martini, they are quite different I believe.

One tastes like like diluted lighter fluid. I'll let you guess which one.

KlodaX

I'm confused now ...

How about bottled martini after being stored in the fridge in a chilled cocktail glass with an olive on a toothpick?

leave the vodka martini alone?

Alun

Surely the Martini you can buy in the shops is just a brand of vermouth, as is Cinzano and Noilly Prat. A martini is a cocktail made with gin (or vodka) plus vermouth of whatever make, although I understand from those that drink these kinds of things that Martini isn't the best.

KlodaX

Alun wrote:

Surely the Martini you can buy in the shops is just a brand of vermouth, as is Cinzano and Noilly Prat. A martini is a cocktail made with gin (or vodka) plus vermouth of whatever make, although I understand from those that drink these kinds of things that Martini isn't the best.

so putting this all together... a decent brand of Vermouth with some vodka and crushed ice, shaken then drained from the ice ... poured into a chilled cocktail glass with an olive on a cocktail stick?

but for the lazy man ... martini straight from the bottle?

The Sweeper

A martini is gin and vermouth. 2 measures of gin to a half measure of dry vermouth is a standard martini. A stirred martini would be put in a mixing glass with ice, stirred well and strained into a cocktail glass. Shaken is the alcohol in a shaker, then strained into a cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon.

GOOD QUALITY ICE IS VITAL FOR COCKTAILS

With straight alcohol cocktails, with no mixers, the meltwater from the ice the drink is shaken or stirred with becomes an integral part of the drink. Old ice with freezer fungus taste will destroy your drink.

A vodka martini is vodka and vermouth. 2.5 measures of vodka to 3/4 of a measure of dry vermouth. Vodka martinis are more often shaken than just stirred - shake up with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, add the olive and serve. A dry vodka martini would involve a little more vodka and a little less vermouth.

You can also have a dirty martini, which involves olive juice as well as alcohol and the olives.

On the straight from the bottle variety, I wouldn't. But that's a matter of taste.

Try a chili martini - ketel vodka, vermouth, campari, orange juice and tabasco, serve chilled and up. (e.g. shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass). Got rather sauced on those on Wednesday night!

Gordon

Go to an off licence, ask the guy behind the counter for a bottle of martini, tell him to shake the bottle and ask him how many "moneypennys" it costs.

The Sweeper

...or yeah, you could take Gordon's route.

rubadub

In one of the bond movies he asks for it specifically "stirred not shaken". Cant remember which. In another he opens up his briefcase and has a special foam cut-out for holding his bottle of red absolut.

Apparently shaking or stirring is supposed to affect the taste somehow. Could be aeration, vodka should be shaken up before drinking neat to get it aerated, or poured from a height. And always served with fresh ice, none of that frozen crap.

Alun

And always served with fresh ice, none of that frozen crap.

Confused Ice that isn't frozen???

The Sweeper

You ever seen the furry rubbish that frosts over your ice cubes when they're old?

None of that.

rubadub

Alun wrote:

Confused Ice that isn't frozen???

Tis just a joke, meant to confuse, cant remember where I saw it, some program a guy said it to a waitress

mycroft

rubadub wrote:

Tis just a joke, meant to confuse, cant remember where I saw it, some program a guy said it to a waitress

The trick to really really good ice is to use hot water.

Sounds like a joke put use warm water to fill your tray, magic science stuff, means the cubes will form without trapped oxygen bubbles.

The Sweeper

Okay - now you're taking away from the importance of fresh ice!!

But really. Best ice: filtered water, boiled, poured into ice trays while hot and fast-frozen, makes crystal clear cubes. Make fresh for entertaining.

Look at it this way; if you wanted a glass of water, would rub the freezer frost into a glass, wait till it melts and then drink it? No? Then why the hell do it with your cocktail?

[edit]Damn you Mycroft for getting in there first[/edit]

KlodaX

Gordon wrote:

Go to an off licence, ask the guy behind the counter for a bottle of martini, tell him to shake the bottle and ask him how many "moneypennys" it costs.

rubadub

mycroft wrote:

The trick to really really good ice is to use hot water.

Sounds like a joke put use warm water to fill your tray, magic science stuff, means the cubes will form without trapped oxygen bubbles.

Yeah, filter and boil it up. The boiling drives off all the gas in the water (when boiled water is cooled it tastes stale since there is no aeration).

Putting a hot ice cube tray in the freezer will mean it sinks into the frosty base of the freezer, this then freezes and can actually speed up the freezing due to better contact to the cold.

If all I have is old furry ice cubes, I just rinse them off first.