Dry martini
Gin and dry vermouth, stirred until icy and served with a twist. Simple and unforgiving.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Martini glass
- Strength
- 2.7 UK units
How to make a dry martini
- Chill the glass. Put a martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes, or fill it with ice and water while you work.
- Pour into a mixing glass. Add the gin, vermouth and bitters if you are using them. Fill the glass with plenty of fresh, hard ice.
- Stir for 30 to 40 seconds. Stir smoothly and without clattering until the outside of the glass is frosted. The drink should be clear and so cold it almost hurts your teeth.
- Strain into the cold glass. Tip out any ice or water from the glass, then strain the drink in.
- Express the lemon. Twist a strip of lemon peel over the surface so the oils spray across it, rub it round the rim, then drop it in.
- Glass
- Martini glassNo martini glass? A coupe or a small, stemmed wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Lemon twistOr: Three green olives on a pick.
What you need to make a dry martini
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Mixing glassAny sturdy jug or pint glass works.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- Dry vermouthNoilly Prat is crisp and herbal; Dolin Dry is a little lighter.Find it on Amazon
- London dry ginPlymouth is softer, Tanqueray is sharper. Both make a good martini.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The dry martini story
Nobody agrees where the martini began. Some point to a drink called the Martinez, others to a bartender in Martinez, California, and others to New York. What is clear is that it was sweeter at first and became drier as the 20th century went on, until the word dry was the point.
The version here is 60 ml gin to 15 ml vermouth, which is a 4 to 1 ratio. For a wetter drink, use 20 or 25 ml of vermouth. For a drier one, use less, or just rinse the glass with it. Keep everything cold, because temperature does as much as the ratio.
Dry martini: your questions answered
What is in a dry martini?
A dry martini is made with 60 ml London dry gin and 15 ml dry vermouth. Garnish: lemon twist.
Is a dry martini shaken or stirred?
A dry martini is stirred, not shaken. Stirring with ice chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and smooth. Shaking would cloud it and add tiny air bubbles, which suits citrus drinks but not this one.
How strong is a dry martini?
Made to this recipe, a dry martini contains about 2.7 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a dry martini in?
Serve a dry martini in a martini glass. No martini glass? A coupe or a small, stemmed wine glass.
