A true martini is stirred, not shaken.
Pace! 
Even I don't go that far - but yes, to some, a martini that is shaken is properly referred to as a Bradford.
Stirred vs shaken actually does result in a noticeably different taste. Sometimes you feel like a nut...
Originally Posted by
meehgz
One key thing a lot of people seem to forget is to use frozen (as in, stored in a freezer, not the state of matter as it wouldn't freeze anyway as we all know :-) gin or vodka. As it's meant to be enjoyed over a longer period of time than a typical cocktail, you want your liquor of choice to stay as cold as possible for the length of time it takes you to drink it!
Interesting - I'd never considered storing gin in the freezer. Vodka, of course, but not gin.