Cocktail Hour, Issue No. 25: Martinis! 🍸

You’ve stumbled upon Bar\Heart, a weekly newsletter about belonging and the places we call home. I’m so glad you’re here. This is the Friday afternoon Cocktail Hour, a curio cabinet of everything I find interesting each week, plus a drink recipe. Subscribe and I’ll mainline my brain straight into your box! Cheers.🍸

-----------------------------------

Happy Friday, y’all! We made it to Cocktail Hour!

I’m excited for today’s edition because The Bestie™ is here and Lovey is away on a Gentleman’s Sabbatical in the woods. Where? I dunno. With whom? Only vaguely aware. What I do know is that we get some glorious time apart.

I love Lovey deeply, but we’re both people who need independent time and lives. The pandemic has forced us to navigate forced togetherness. One thing that helped is our regular Cocktail Hour, where we mix drinks, turn on music and read together. We get to be together, but alone in our books.

Before the pandemic started, we mostly sipped whiskey or made gin and tonics at home. Cocktails were magical and squarely in the domain of our favorite bartenders. I loved being able to walk into our neighborhood bars, Craft Work and Marrow, and have Lee or David hand me a perfect Old Fashioned before I’d even ordered. It wasn’t just about the drink; it was about being a part of a community.

But without the skills of Lee and David, we were forced to fend for ourselves. So while every other white lady in America made sourdough, I started learning about cocktails. We mastered the Old Fashioned, discovered the Gimlet, studied the Negroni. But the martini always intimidated me. Honestly, I didn’t often like them; they usually tasted like bathwater.

So, for you and for science, I decided to get to the bottom of the martini.

I interview master mixologist on Instagram Live to get her tips on the martini. Watch it here.

Ok. Let’s get to it!

One recent Saturday night, Lovey, Friend Shana and her Consort put our minds toward perfecting the martini. There was a notebook involved, nine types of gin, three types of vermouth and two pots of soup simmering on the stove in hopes of keeping us sober. As Shana said, we’re middle-aged in the Midwest in the middle of winter ... and we were not sad.

In all, we tested 16 iterations (and were still standing!). The winner? We're still testing.

That's the thing about the martini, as I learned in all my martini research: There's no one "perfect" recipe. (Except a “Perfect Martini,” which uses equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.) Unlike a lot of cocktails, the martini is really dependent upon the taste of the drinker. Lovey prefers his with just a whiff of vermouth; Shana likes hers with a very botanical gin, like Detroit City Distillery’s Lady of the House gin. The Consort doesn’t like them at all.

But the one truth we learned? They must be served cold. Icy cold. You want a small glass, like a 5 oz. Nick & Nora, so your drink doesn’t slosh around and get too warm before you can finish it. You also don’t want to hold the bowl of the glass because the warmth of your hand transfers straight to your martini, rendering it bathwater.

My favorites? These high-quality glasses from Cocktail Kingdom. They’re often sold out, so if you see them, order them! (Right now, only the gold rim is in stock.)

Beyond that, the key to martinis is understanding that it is a really simple formula that leaves a lot of room for personal preference and interpretation:

Spirit + vermouth (a fortified wine) + bitters = martini. Garnish with olive or lemon peel.

But just knowing the formula wasn’t delivering me the kind of results at home that I got at a bar. So I reached out to my favorite mistress of the cocktail, Abigail Gullo. I met Abigail in Red Hook, Brooklyn, when she was the face behind our neighborhood bar, Fort Defiance.

She eventually left us (sniff, sniff) to go to NOLA, where she racked up a slew of awards – including Bartender of the Year – and helped open Compere Lapin, which earned Best Hotel Bar from the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.

Then she left to open Ben Paris in Seattle and is now the co-host of the podcast Drink & Learn and is director and podcast host of Bartender’s Circle, an industry outreach and educational program.

She got all fancy on us, but she'll always just be one of my favorite ladies to sit and chat with across the bar. You told me your burning martini questions, and I got answers.

What is a “dry” martini?

The classic Dry Martini is the standard bearer among recipes and variations. Nowadays “dry” translates to no vermouth, but in the 1880s, when the drink first started to gain popularity, dry meant the use of dry vermouth instead of sweet.

What’s the story with vermouth?

The classic Dry Martini recipe is 2 oz. of gin, 1 oz. of dry vermouth, two dashes of orange bitters and a twist of lemon or olive. See, the drink is a third vermouth, so it's important! It should be good and fresh and add a botanical kick that compliments the gin.

Making the drink “Wet” would mean adding even more vermouth, and, indeed, the 50/50 Martini, which combines equal parts gin and dry vermouth, is an industry darling that is very popular in bars where they have good vermouth.

The Perfect Martini, which splits the vermouth between sweet and dry, is not as popular (I do like my Manhattans perfect though, meaning I split the dry and sweet vermouth). The Manhattan is the Grandfather to the Martini (The Martinez with Gin and sweet vermouth being the bridge between the two.)

Should martinis be shaken or stirred?

James Bond RUINED Martinis. Sure, shake it if you want, but mostly it just makes a watery mess, over diluting the cocktail and adding a weird texture. A martini should be stirred. The more gentle dilution creates a velvety-like texture.

Vodka or gin?

Vodka has little odor or flavor by design, so a vodka martini made in the classic style will just taste like vermouth! No botanical balance from the gin. A vodka “Martini” with no vermouth is just a chilled shot of vodka … which is great! I mean, 50 million Russians can’t be wrong, to steal a phrase. So I am team #ginmartini … unless it’s dirty.

For a Classic Martini, go gin. But For a Dirty Martini? Go vodka and shake.

So, what is a Dirty Martini?

Oh, the savory, beguiling and controversial Dirty Martini.

The Dirty Martini is believed to have originated in 1901, when New York bartender John O’Connor found inspiration in the classic’s famous olive garnish. First made by muddling the olive into the drink, and later by adding a splash of olive brine, the Dirty Martini took decades to reach a wide fan base.

It eventually found favor among drinkers, including President F.D.R., who served and drank them in the White House. Fast forward to modern day, and the cocktail is equally loved and reviled — ordered en masse by thirsty patrons while simultaneously loathed by some bartenders. Myself included. I really didn’t see the point in adding vermouth at all since the “dirt” tends to overwhelm everything and most people want it with vodka anyway.

The guests who loved my Dirty Martinis the most got about equal parts olive brine and vodka, shaken within an inch of its life and loosely strained with ice chips floating on top and a big fistful of olives for a snack. The guest was very happy, and so is my bottom line as the return on such a cocktail is rather high … even higher if they insist on a “premium” vodka whose taste will get lost in all that brine anyway.

I have tried improving the cocktail with proper techniques and quality ingredients. That includes fresh, refrigerated dry vermouth and artisan olive juice, olive oil “caviar” … but why mess with the classic everyone loves?

What’s your dream Martini?

Me? I like dry sherry in mine. A Fino or Manznilla are actually quite savory, nutty and dry, with more than a hint of salinity. I guess my way to dirty up a martini would be to add some sherry. And I am hungry for a snack, so let's make my dream Martini with a side of olives and pickled things for snacking.

Abigail’s Dream Martini/Bamboo/Gibson

Stir over cracked ice until the corner of the cubes starts to soften. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. (My preferred glassware, due to its being named for Nick & Nora Charles from the Thin Man films). Garnish with a lemon twist and serve with mini bowls of fine olives, pickled onions and Spanish almonds. Play some New Orleans jazz in the background and I am in a good place.

This month's Bar\Heart Book List has art forgery, Black freedmen who fought for the Union, a Russian spy who becomes the First Lady, exploring what it costs to live, meditations on returning home and more. Here’s the full list; you can read all about them here.

Fiction

Nonfiction

My issue with martinis – and a lot of cocktails at home – is ice. It needs to be fresh and of good, hearty size. We rarely get that luxury at home. (My dream is one of those new fancy refrigerators that make craft ice … but I hear even those don’t work that well).

So unless you plan ahead a few hours to have good fresh ice made in an empty freezer away from food contamination, your best bet is to batch, dilute and freeze your martinis ahead of time. We have been doing this in fancy high volume restaurants for ages now, but it is really well suited for home use, too.

Batch up your martinis and count on about an ounce of water per cocktail for dilution. So if I am making a classic 2:1 gin martini, I include an ounce of water; 2:1:1. (Don’t forget the bitters) There is still enough high proof liquid in there, it won’t freeze and you can pour these frozen velvety drinks right from the bottle into a chilled martini glass. Just add garnish.

You can get a nice looking bottle or decanter, you can use a jam jar. It’s your home bar! Just needs a touch of math and faith.

2. If You Can’t Be a Vegetarian, You Can Still Be a Texatarian.

I found this Texas Monthly column unexpectedly charming.

3. The Cult of Casey’s: How Gas Stations Became Essential to American Culture

Lyz Lenz, who writes the Men Yell at Me newsletter, brings us this delightful story from the in-between spaces of the Midwest.

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I discovered Jason Isbell only recently. I’m not ashamed of how I came to his music – the gloriously trashy-smart Yellowstone – but rather, that I didn’t already know about him. He’s in the vein of Steve Earle and has been on the scene for years – even writing and performing some of my favorite Drive By Truckers songs.

But Yellowstone brought me to his song, “Last of My Kind,” with his band The 400 Unit, in season 2, and then “Cover Me Up” in season 4. Since then, The Nashville Sound has been on constant loop in my office because his songwriting is so evocative of our themes here: community, culture, belonging and home. Here are two verses from “Last of My Kind”:

If you want to dress up your martinis – or any cocktail – I highly recommend these lovely diver cocktail picks from Love & Victory. I bought a set for myself at Christmas, and Meg – who is also a Bar\Heart subscriber {wave emoji} – just released them in multiple colors. You might also like her Pisco Sour pin.

Our goodest dog is still with us! He's actually snoring at my feet right now. We’re still only looking at a few months left with him, at most, according to the vet, but he’s loving every minute of his days. Friends keep dropping by to snuggle him; momma is heavy-handed with the snacks, and he’s got warm heating pads to help his joints. He's still fighting The Overlord for his bed, though. Some things will never change.

That’s all for this week, friends. See you next Friday for Cocktail Hour. Be sure to follow my Instagram to find out what we’re making next week!

---------------------------------------

💯 Like what you read? Please consider subscribing and telling a friend!

🕵🏻‍♀️ Looking for a cocktail recipe?Check the archive.

📡 Want to tell a friend? Feel free to forward the email orsend this link.

💌 Got questions? E-mail amy@barheart.us

👋 Say hello on Instagram,Facebook orTwitter

💬 Got something to share? Leave a comment! I will respond.

❣️ Other newsletters I love: Men Yell At Me +Open Court + This Stuff

---------------------------------------

What is Bar\Heart? It is Amy Haimerl’s weekly newsletter about belonging in America and the places we call home. You can read more about it here. The midweek edition includes essays, interviews and reportage; the Friday Cocktail Hour is a round up drink suggestions, book recommendations and other detritus Amy picks up on the Internet and in life.

If you enjoy these shenanigans, please consider subscribing. And please tell a friend! I’d love to mainline my brain straight into their inbox, too.