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...

Interesting - I'd never considered storing gin in the freezer. Vodka, of course, but not gin.

Were it not for Ian Fleming's literary hero, we would never have had a stirred vs. shaken debate. If ever legend started by one man, Fleming's the one.

Most older US Martini drinkers, around in the 50s and early 60s, were weaned from the breast to Gordon's gin, and the advent of the US popularity of even such now ell known 'names' as Tanqueray and Beefeaters' are relatively modern (early 60s) phenomena. These days, there are more gin choices (with flavors and aromas ranging from the "almost vodka" to fruity, citrony or "more juniper than sauerbraten") than there are good barmen.

Vodka crept into Martinidom in the 50s, and as with the Ice Age, like a glacier it creeps further and further. Dry Vermouth was in tradition referred to by barmen (& barwomen of whom there were fewer) and regular drinkers as "French" (as in "Gin & French"), evidence that only the hoi polloi and tradesmen would employ dry Vermouth from Italy or California. Thanks to Somerset Maugham and other traditionalists, Noilly Pratt (which has gone through a couple of formula changes) was the brand of choice, at least until Fleming's hero chose a non-Vermouth, Kina Lillet, to confuse the issue.

Then there's "Pink Gin", a 3 hour non-credit course at the School of Hard Drinking", where Gin & Tonic comes with no ice and no lime.

Okay, educate me since I'm more of a wine guy. Our martinis we had at the bar had a very distinctive nutty taste - what would give them that flavor?

Interesting that you referenced my favorite author - I think I've read nearly his entire collection.

One of these days I'm going to start a thread about celebrated artists and luminaries from the past who would be in jail for the rest of their lives were they alive today and had the same predilections

There's a delightful book called How's Your Drink? by Eric Felten, which is all about different cocktails and their histories. Everyone reading this thread should read the book. Felten actually mentions Kina Lillet in the Vesper as dictated by Bond in one of the Fleming novels. He says it's a rare cocktail slipup for Fleming, who was a devoted drinker and generally knew his stuff.


I too am more of a wine guy, actually. Beer comes a distant third for me. My take on the difference between shaken and stirred is that a shaken martini has more of what I've heard best described as an icy bite. A stirred one is more like liquid velvet. But both cases require the correct proportion of gin to vermouth. Too much or too little vermouth, and the martini loses its je ne sais quoi.

Please do! Sounds interesting.

At an old restaurant I use to work at, we would infuse pineapple in gin for a week and use that to make a pineapple martini. Included vermouth, a twist, hint of orange liquor and if wanted, a piece of that pineapple. My fav.

Sapphire and Gallo vermouth -3 gin to 1 vermouth garnished with olives

My favorite is a basic martini at whatever hotel lounge after a long (and hopefully successful) day. The bonus is olives count as vegetables!

Definitely important to keep ones Vitamins and anti-oxidants up!!

Still gotta go with the Cosmo

Martinis can be made with vodka, especially in this day and age where they are the norm in many places there's no need to be puritanical.

I had a great Vodka martini made with Russian Imperia in Paris which was the equal of the very best Gin Martinis I've ever had.

That said, in general I prefer to drink vodka on the rocks, maybe with a twist of lemon and use Gin in my martinis. My preferred style is an in-and-out Martini - wash the glass with vermouth and tip it out. Then fill with cold gin (Tanqueray 10, usually about 75mL), and use a couple of olives on a cocktail skewer as a swizzlestick to keep gently stirring.

Usually I drink these like water and can down 5 in my first hour, but if the occasion calls for savouring it, get yourself one of these:

http://awesomedrinks.com/collections...rtini-set-of-2

Fill the bowl with ice water and you can keep your martini chilled for ages.

I much prefer vodka, it just seems lighter. A drop of Noily Prat and most certainly shaken to take the temperature down quickly and with the least water dilution. Twist of lemon peel - no olive please.

I was once insistently called "Oliver Twist!" "Oliver Twist!" on a Delta flight for several moments until I realised I was being offered a choice ........Great friends divided by a common language.:-:

Anything with Grey Goose ..

Very slightly dirty Grey goose.

Mexican Martini at Trudy's in Austin, TX