Cocktail Atlas

Dry Martini

Gin with a measured splash of dry vermouth, stirred until properly cold and served up with a lemon twist or an olive.

Cocktail Atlas · Updated

Spirit
Gin
Glass
Martini glass
Method
Stirred
Difficulty
Intermediate

The riffs: Martini Variations

Spec source: IBA official cocktail list

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Dry Martini

Ingredients

Ingredients for Dry Martini. Tick each one as you add it.
AddedMeasureIngredient
2 oz
⅓ oz

Steps

  1. Stir the gin and vermouth with ice in a mixing glass until well chilled.
  2. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
  3. Squeeze the oil from a lemon peel over the top, or garnish with an olive.

Garnish Lemon peel or green olive

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Batch it For a party of 4–20

Makes 8 drinks, about 22½ oz · 670 ml before ice.

Dry Martini batch
AmountIngredient
16 oz · 480 mlGin
2⅔ oz · 80 mlDry vermouth
3¾ oz · 110 mlCold water, for dilution (approx.)

The water stands in for the melt from stirring: about 20% for a stirred drink. It is an approximation, so taste and adjust. Chill the batch at least 2 hours and pour over fresh ice.

Fits one 750 ml bottle; a funnel helps.

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Why it works

A Dry Martini is cold, nearly undiluted gin made rounder by a small amount of dry vermouth, which adds a little body and an herbal, wine-like edge. Stirring with plenty of ice chills it hard and adds just enough water to soften the alcohol while keeping the drink perfectly clear. The lemon oil on top gives aroma; an olive gives a briny, savory note.

Substitutions

  • Keep vermouth in the fridge; it oxidizes once opened.
  • Vodka in place of gin makes a cleaner, less botanical Martini.
  • A wetter ratio (more vermouth) is softer; a drier one is more gin-forward.

Variations

Questions

Should a Martini be shaken or stirred?
Stirred. Shaking adds air and ice chips that cloud the drink and change its texture.
What does "dry" mean?
It refers to how little vermouth is used. This spec is roughly 6 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth.
Lemon twist or olive?
Either. A twist adds bright citrus aroma; an olive adds a savory, salty note.

Making it: Dry Martini

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