Talk about a drink with staying power.
The history of martinis is hotly debated, but versions of it first appeared in cocktail books in the late 1800s. The cocktail has evolved over time, garnished first with cherries and then olives, lemons and onions, surged in popularity during Prohibition and became a pop culture icon, thanks to James Bond.
Its popularity hasn’t waned; the proof lies in the myriad flavors now available on cocktail menus and the enthusiasm of home mixologists. It even has its own holiday.
In honor of National Martini Day, celebrated each year on June 19, we turned to Nick Kosevich, CEO of Earl Giles’ Minneapolis bottling division, for tips and trivia about the classic drink:
The true test: Lots of drinks get thrown into the “martini” category just based on the fact that they are served in a martini glass. There is, in fact, only one true martini, and that consists of gin, dry vermouth and orange bitters.
Oh, the possibilities: Even with just three ingredients, there’s an infinite number of variations possible when you consider the more than 2,500 distinct gin brands produced in the world as well as several vermouth brands.
The secret to a great martini: The trick is the ratio. If I’m drinking them before noon, I do a reverse martini (2 ounces dry vermouth, 1 ounce gin, 2 dashes orange bitters). If it’s between lunch and dinner, I’m drinking equal parts martinis (1½ ounce gin, 1½ ounce dry vermouth, 2 dashes of orange bitters). And my preferred formula for the “after sunset and beyond” hours is 2-to-1 (2 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 2 dashes of orange bitters).
Cheers to history buffs: Ernest Hemingway’s favorite martini, the Montgomery, was named after World War II British [Field Marshal] Bernard Law Montgomery. Hemingway believed Montgomery’s battle tactics required a 15-to-1 advantage in numbers and mirrored this ratio in his martini order: 15 parts gin to 1 part vermouth.
