The Martini in Amber
The Martini in Amber
The Meadow
1
The martini is the velociraptor of cocktails, effortlessly perfect in its irrefutable, reptilian logic. It cannot be improved, it cannot be perfected, it cannot be mastered. But what is a martini? What are its proportions? Is it gin, vermouth, water, olive, or twist? Or, as the ancient manuscripts tell us, are there bitters in the martini’s DNA? A few dashes of citrus bitters may not answer the question once and for all, but through the palest amber of liquids in your glass you will see, at last, the perfection of the question.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces London dry gin (Beefeater, Bombay, or Tanqueray)
- ¾ ounce dry (white) vermouth (we like Dolin)
- 2 dashes citrus bitters
- A few olives, for garnish
Directions
- Pour everything but the olives over ice in a chilled mixing glass. Stir steadily until the desired dilution is reached: about 15 seconds if using ice from a bucket or 30 seconds if using ice straight from the freezer. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the olives.
- Optional bitters embellishment: Instead of mixing the bitters into the cocktail, float the dashes on top of the finished drink to accentuate the aromatics.