How to Drink a Martini Properly

In the list of alcoholic drinks martini occupies a place of honor as an ingredient of numerous cocktails. The famous Italian brand of vermouth and sparkling wines gave the name to the drink itself. It is often considered feminine because of its mild taste and large number of additives, which include spicy herbs, fruits and spices. In some varieties, their number reaches 40. Nevertheless, martinis should not be discriminated against, they are drunk with great pleasure by men as well. The main thing is the right components, of which the cocktail is prepared.

What is a martini

In essence, a martini is a brand name. The company produces flavored fortified wines of medium strength with the addition of wormwood, spices and other components that give the drinks an original rich taste. Naturally, the full recipe is classified, and the general public only knows the basic ingredients, such as alcohol, water, sugar and a few aromatic additives.

The Martini gets its name from the surname of the creator of the recipe. The first appearance of the drink on the market was in 1863, when the distillery organized by Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi gave samples of the new vermouth. In just 16 years the partners opened a factory and registered Martini&Rossi trademark which quickly gained popularity in Italy. Their permanent rivals on the alcohol market were and still are Cinzano vermouth.

Types

Manufacturers have created several recipes with different flavors.

Interesting: Each type of martini has very strict tolerances for sugar content and level of flavor saturation.

Genuine drinks are those produced in Italy and have the coat of arms of King Umberto on the label. The others may be called martinis, but they will not be considered real.

The main division is based on color. The base is white or red wine, and it is made in the winery, not trusting the purchased raw material.

Important: Under the martini brand, vermouth and sparkling wines, similar to champagne, are produced. Sparkling wines include such drinks as:

1. Asti, whose base is a white wine with characteristic notes of peach, honey and orange.
2. Brut, created more than 80 years ago. It has a tart, rich flavor with a persistent aftertaste and is made from a blend of several varieties.
3. Gran Lusso was made as far back as Luigi Rossi in the 19th century. Over time, the recipe was reinterpreted and supplemented, it is produced in a limited edition and belongs to the elite varieties.
4. Prosecco has a fresh, dry taste with a hint of grapefruit and peach.
5. Rosé is considered a novelty in the line of famous wines, created in collaboration with Enrique Bernando, the sommelier champion of the league. The technology is based on a blend of white and red varieties, with an aroma of elderberry and peach.
6. Royal Bianco delights with flavors of vanilla and fragrant herbs.
7. Royal Rosato is recognizable by its bittersweet flavor with a trail of cloves, lemon, olive and nutmeg.

These types are most often drunk as a standalone drink, but there are also cocktail versions. The bottles are similar in appearance to the usual champagne.

Four varieties of vermouth are considered classic:

• white dry;
• white sweet;
• pink;
• red.

They differ in the type of raw material and sugar concentration. The lower bar is kept at 4%, the upper reaches 16.

Varieties of the drink

The basic is considered a brilliant five, on the basis of which improved or modified variations are possible, but the classic types of Italian vermouth are exactly 5.

1. Rosso. The first type with the venerable age of 150 years. The year of its release is considered to be 1863. Produced from red grapes, the sugar content is minimal, and the hallmark is the bright aroma of caramel. Because of this additive the color of the drink is dark. Herbal aromas are well distinguished.
2. Bianco. It appeared half a century after Rosso. Originally called Vanilla Vermouth. Almost immediately became popular as a base for low-alcohol cocktails due to its sweet-tart flavor and clear golden color. The taste is almost devoid of bitterness, spicy aftertaste and a note of vanilla stands out strongly.
3. Extra Dry. It had been under development for a decade and hit the market only in 1900. The efforts of producers were not wasted, the drink was appreciated by monarchs of Belgium and France. Over 40 awards were given to it. Its popularity is proven by the fact that it is the most popular cocktail ingredient among other types of martinis. Its taste is distinctly lemon and raspberry.
4. D´oro. One of the lightest in terms of alcohol content. The purpose was not to intoxicate, but to keep the mood and strength of the inhabitants of northern countries. There is honey, lemon, vanilla and fruit mix in the flavor. It was intended for residents of the Netherlands, Belgium, Amsterdam, where the sun in winter very rarely comes out from behind the clouds, causing colds and moping. Released in 1998, the species immediately became one of the favorite drinks to be consumed in its pure form.
5. Rosato. The only species that contains rose wine. Cinnamon and cloves lead the taste, the aftertaste is tart, the fortress is 15%, the sugar content is medium. The drink was released in 1980.
6. Fiero. Almost is not sold in Russia. Features a honey flavor and vanilla aroma on a fruity base. It was developed and released in 1998.

The technology of making

Any kind of martini begins with making a wine base. It must stand for 8 to 12 months. Then they make a complex of additives, which include a whole set of ingredients. The full list is kept secret, because it was created by the company and is its own development. Grinded ingredients are immersed in alcohol for 2-3 weeks. During this time, essential oils come out of them, and the alcohol acquires a characteristic smell and taste with a strong herbal aroma.

Important: the quality is ensured by strict temperature limits of not less than 16 and not more than 22 degrees. To quickly saturate the alcohol with essential oils, the solution is constantly stirred. Then add sugar, wine base, extracts. Such a multicomponent composition requires a stabilization process. It is made by freezing the vermouth for 10 days, a few stages of filtration and the second sedimentation at rest. All the work is done in airtight conditions without air access.

How to store the martini

Closed and open bottles of the noble beverage have different shelf lives. If the factory packaging is still intact, it will remain safe for five years. And in the corner of the label there is a note that if at the end of this period the drink has retained its transparency and there is no sediment, then it is suitable for consumption.

You don't have to finish an open bottle right away. It may well wait until the next occasion. The product is stabilized, so even in open form it stores well.

What you need to know is: any vermouth quickly absorbs foreign odors, leaving it open on the table is not recommended.

Depending on storage conditions, the opened bottle is stored:

• on the bar - 2 weeks;
• In a dark room at room temperature - 1-3 months;
• In the refrigerator - up to six months.

If the bottle is damaged, it is better to pour vermouth into any glass container. Plastic is not suitable for storage, it lets the air in and can give the drink a strange taste, while glass is neutral and perfectly preserves the original characteristics of the product.

What glasses are used to drink a martini?

Fougères and glasses can be of two kinds - for the drink in its pure form and for cocktails. In the first case, choose a small container in the shape of an inverted triangle on a thin stem. The edges are decorated with sugar and finely chopped ice chips are poured on the bottom.

Tall glasses of up to 240 ml. volume are used for cocktails.

A special shape of glass was developed in 1925 specially for the Martini brand. To reveal the taste, it needed a maximum opening outline, close to a cone or triangle. The variety was affectionately called a martin. Sometimes one hears it referred to as a cocktail shot or a martini glass. This shape prevents the drink from heating up quickly. Because it is not afraid of interaction with the air, the rich aroma does not dissipate, and the taste is preserved, this option was found to be optimal.

How to drink a martini correctly

The drink has a low strength and level of sweetness. The herbal ingredients in the composition awaken the appetite, so vermouths are drunk as an aperitif before a meal. Accordingly, a certain appetizer is required, which depends on the type of martini. There are generally accepted canons, but experimentation is not forbidden.

Bianco

Light, moderately sweet with a tart aftertaste, it goes well with fruit, olives and olives, cheese. Pineapple, kiwi or lemon sliced in thin slices and sprinkled with powdered sugar will do. Salted crackers are a good addition to the rich flavor, and sometimes a vase of nuts is placed on the table as an appetizer. Of the more hearty types you can offer canapés with cold meats, ham, smoked poultry breast. Shrimp are for those who like it.

Rosso

For a clean drink, you should choose hard cheeses with a neutral or brackish flavor, meat cuts, salted crackers, olives. A big mistake would be to serve chocolate, any dessert with a strong flavor of vanilla or cinnamon. Minty ingredients are not welcome.

A note to keep in mind: Canned, spicy, spicy snacks spoil the taste of any vermouth.

Extra Dry.

Variety successfully combined with fish and seafood. A neutral and hearty dish would be sandwiches with white bread, ham, olives and a leaf of lettuce. Fruit can be served on skewers, avoiding very sweet varieties.

Rosato

Serve olives with lemon, bitter chocolate, fresh and grilled vegetables and salami. It is not recommended to combine it with desserts. The drink has a fairly high sugar content, and together with cakes or cream it becomes sugary, losing its unique flavor and aroma.

Top products to be combined with martinis

For all types of drink, universal appetizers would be:

• cheese;
• nuts;
• salted or cheese crackers;
• olives and black olives;
• pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit;
• berries;
• bitter chocolate;
• seafood;
• Sushi and rolls.

Can a martini be drunk without drinking it?

Connoisseurs do exactly that, almost without a snack and enjoying every drop of the drink. It is chilled to bring out the full flavor spectrum. And here, as well as in the manufacture, it is important to maintain certain limits. The optimal temperature is between 10 and 15 degrees. You can go another way and simply add pieces of ice to the glass or martin, but then the level of strength and sweetness will change.

For undiluted martinis, you don't need a cocktail straw. It diminishes the bouquet and provokes you to drink the drink quickly. It is better left for tall glasses and multi-component mixtures.

Cocktails with martinis: Recipes

Bianco and Rosso are most often used. They are perfectly combined with vodka, tonic, juices, fresches, liqueurs.

Martini with vodka

This cocktail became widely known thanks to the James Bond movies. It takes a few minutes to prepare. You need 10 ml of Martini Dry, 40 ml of vodka, ice, 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. In a shaker mix vodka and ice, add martini and lemon juice. Pour into martini, add olive.

Fifty-fifty.

The trick is to complement the tart taste of juniper in the gin with the slight bitterness of wormwood from the dry martini. The proportions are 50 ml of each drink, add ice and garnish with an olive or olive.

Negroni

If you want to feel like an Italian count or countess, you should pay attention to a simple and at the same time refined recipe. Pour crushed ice into a wide glass, then pour martini Rosso, gin, and Campari in a 2:2:1 ratio. Now we just need to slowly stir the glass with a spoon and enjoy our drink.

Martini with Champagne

An interesting variant is obtained by combining two ladies' drinks with ice and strawberry juice. The point is to carefully pour the liquids along the wall of the tall glass without mixing them. The order starts with juice and ends with champagne. You get a sweet cocktail with bubbly bubbles. You need to drink through a straw. The glass is pre-filled with ice cubes.

Bianco Sunrise

Romantic version for the meeting of dawn consists of freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberry morsel, Bianco martini. The stunning flavor with citrus and wormwood notes unfolds when chilled, so the addition of ice is a must.

The benefits and harms of martinis

Any alcoholic beverage, consumed without fanaticism, has a relaxing effect, relieves vasospasm, eliminates excessive muscle tension. The mugwort extract cleanses the bile ducts and normalizes the circulation of bile. Herbal ingredients increase the body's resistance during epidemics of influenza and acute respiratory infections, stabilize blood pressure, and soothe palpitations.

As the alcohol content in some kinds of drink is up to 38%, martini is classified as medium strength and is not recommended to pregnant and lactating women, people with exacerbations of cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system diseases. If you are prone to allergies, there may be swelling of the throat, rash, itching, fever. You should take an antihistamine and in the future refrain from drinking drinks of this series.

Interesting Facts

Martini is considered a drink for youth and ladies' companies. It has a complex taste with a predominance of herbal and fruity components. For more than 150 years of its history, a lot of interesting facts about the drink itself and the stories involving it have accumulated.

1. The composition may contain up to 40 ingredients, the exact recipe is the property of the company and is not given out to anyone.
2. The martini line is regularly updated with new products, which quickly find their admirers. The latest are Rosé and Spirito.
3. Just like champagne, a genuine martini is considered to be only one produced in certain provinces of Italy. Drinks originating from other countries are deprived of the right to be so called.
4. Martini has become the familiar name for aperitifs, but in fact it is the brand of a vermouth and sparkling wine company.
5. The fame of a woman's drink slightly offended the producers and they decided to prove the opposite and released vermouth with a strength of 33 degrees, calling it Spirito. According to the idea of marketers, the interest to the novelty should have fueled the announcement that the species is not for sale to women. To which the Western activists for women's equality through the court won the right to buy and drink it on an equal basis with men.
6. When the owner bought a Martini Edition car, produced by Porsche in 1977, he received a case of Martini Royale Bianco waiting for him in the trunk of the luxury car.
7. It is the martini that is considered the equivalent of the glamorous life.
8. The bar at the Algonquin Hotel in the early 20th century served a cocktail that cost $10,000. The secret was a diamond, which was placed at the bottom of the glass.
9. The Coat of Arms of the Royal House is printed on the labels of bottles with the permission of the monarch of Spain Humberto I and is one of the signs of authenticity.
10. The company logo was designed in 1025 and never changed again.

A symbol of sweet life and simply a delicious and flavorful drink, the martini is known and loved in many countries around the world. It is interesting and multifaceted. In the line of recipes, there is sure to be one that becomes a favorite. It is very easy to change or add to the flavor. It's enough to make a sizzling, light or refined martini-based cocktail, garnish it with a mint leaf or a slice of lemon and dip a straw in the glass.

Photo martini