The Martini Debate lingers on..

I take pride in my work as a bartender. I know that its a job where basically you pour alcohol into cups and collect money and make change but on most occasions its more than just that. Is a great opportunity to meet and talk to interesting people as well as to create truly inspiring cocktails. Today, I am here to talk about Martinis.

There was a customer who in this blog shall remain unnamed who came into the bar early and ordered a Ketel One Martini with two olives. Of course, I made it wrong. By the time he ordered his third martini*, He proceed to come over to the service bar where I was preparing the beverage in question and proceeded to tell me how to correctly prepare a martini in front of a bar full of eager patrons who afterwards got a free chuckle at my expense. "don't use jiggers" He roared "you have to feel it" "Wash the glass with dry Vermouth, and spill it out!" I guess he is the expert. I normally do all these things but I use jiggers because I want to pour a fair and legal shot, I am after all a professional bartender. I will also admit that in this instance he was in the end over served which could have potentially cost me my job. Lucky for me, this particular patron does not operate a motor vehicle.

The customer is always right and unfortunately for some they also believe that they know more than you when in comes to cocktails and drinking in general. This is why I really don't like making martinis. Most people do not know the original recipe for this famous cocktail and I can promise you that if you make the original for someone, they will most likely send it back or feel cheated by the lack of booze in the glass.


~Classic Martini~
2 ounces (55ml) gin
0.5 ounces (15ml) dry vermouth
ice
green olive

Add ice, gin and vermouth into a cocktail shaker, shake then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an olive.



Now for the martini that people want these days:

~Martini of Today~
3 ounces Vodka (Preferably Grey Goose or Ketel One)
No Vermouth at all or in a case of the Connoisseur, a misting of the glass with dry vermouth
At least two green olives

Add ice & vodka into a cocktail shaker, shake then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with olives.


There is yet another variation of the martini known as the "Dirty Martini" This would be a martini that has olive brine added to the mix as well and since this is all about taste in the end, this is one of the hardest to make correctly. Too much brine and the drink is ruined, too Little and you will not be able to taste it. I try a middle of the road approach by pouring the brine first into the glass and only adding enough to fill the bottom of the glass and sides by around a half centimeter. With this approach I have drastically reduced the number of these cocktails that would otherwise be returned to be bar. A nice and enjoyable touch for the dirty martini is to add a couple blue cheese stuffed olives as a garnish, even better would be some Gorgonzola or smoked blue cheese filled olives.


*One Martini is good, Two is better, Three is too many. I don't even know what to say about seven...

Rogue Smokey Blue

Rogue Smokey Blue, originally uploaded by jekemp.

I ran across this exceptional cheese a few years back and love how Rogue Creamery cold smoked it over hazelnut shells.
Always have been a fan of both Blue cheese as well as smoked cheeses, this particular cheese captures the spirit of both! Have been considering stuffing this cheese into pitted green olives to complement a perfect dirty Martini.

You can find whole wheels here for around $124.00
http://bit.ly/q5jXr