Tag Archives: martini

A Martini Tinytini

This morning, I went down a rabbit hole instead of doing all the things that I need to do. It’s almost like the example given in “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. Can any of you relate? I’ll try to clothes or take a shower, or basically do anything and everything but what I had on my list to do or in my scheduled blocked time. My other excuse is, it is summer. Oh, and what about you ask? The martini. I know. Piggybacking on an earlier post; team stirred or shaken.

Shaken, stirred, olive twist, dry rinse, classic, dirty, blue cheese olives, regular olives, a twist and onion, olives, a twist and onion olives, and no wait, three olives. One olive, two olives, caviar olives, and so on. Say that five times fast. For the record, onions and maybe onion juice and maybe a twist too make a Gibson. I’ll save that for another post and rabbit hole.

According to Mr. Boston’s martini book, a martini is 1 1/2 gin and 3/4 vermouth with one olive. And an extra dry martini 2 ounces of gin and 1/4 ounce of dry vermouth. And then there is the vodka version. I have decided each week to make one drink from the Mr. Boston’s book and add a tab named Mr. Boston cocktails. The first of this series coming soon. This one and my soufflé martini series. Non related to this post, not the series coming. In case you’re wondering.

I like the Tatum Barnes 2 oz alcohol split 1 oz gin 1 oz vodka a vermouth rinse blue cheese olives an onion and a pickle version with a side of caviar. Thats me.

In case you’d like to try here it is:

A Martini Tinytini

1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin

1 oz Ketel One

rinse of Dolin dry gin

Cornichon pickle, cocktail onion, one house stuffed blue cheese olive. Petrossian caviar.

Simple syrup (optional)

Method

Add ice to a mixing glass or tin. Rinse a chilled glass with vermouth. Add liquor to the mixing vessel and stir at least 10 times. Dash of simple syrup optional. Using a metal pick add onion blue cheese olive and pickle in no particular order. Pour into a glass.

Glass: martini

Garnish: cornichon pickle onion blue cheese stuffed olive and side of Petrossian caviar

Bar Chef Notes: If you enjoy a Vesper martini, then you will like this. I know there isn’t any Lillet Blanc, so if you need a hint of sweetness, add a dash of simple syrup and a couple of dashes orange bitters. The blue cheese can be any type. Creamy crumbly, doesn’t matter.

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!

Stirred Not Shaken

The elegance of a stirred martini or cocktail is its smooth and velvety texture. The methodical stirring process ensures a crystal-clear appearance (unless it’s dirty of course) and a harmonious integration of the spirits, generally speaking.

Shaken drinks typically include citrus juices, jams, jellies, egg whites, and creams, making blending easier. Unlike stirring, which may cause ingredient separation with these types of ingredients, shaking awakens the drink, especially with citrus variations. Be careful not to over-shake, as citrus can turn bitter and creams may froth over. Negronis, old fashioneds, boulevardiers, and martinis are usually stirred; to name a few. Some prefer the shaken martini for the ice crystals on top and I imagine subconsciously the dilution and mouth feel. I have a regular guest at my bar who drinks a Negroni up instead of the classic on the rocks. Exceptions can always be made. However, excessive shaking can dilute a martini by about 5-10%. Stirring just enough opens up the spirits for a balanced cocktail. You can stir in a mixing glass or for a colder martini, use a mixing tin. There is less surface area by volume. Recently, some guests switched from shaken to stirred martinis, finding the stirred version perfect for them based on my suggestion. They have taken this up at home too. Yay! One for ‘team stirred’. The intention of this post post is that I wanted to highlight the difference between shaken and stirred cocktails and emphasizing the elegance of a stirred martini. Now, the only question is: dirty, olives or a twist?

Bar Chef Notes: Although martinis traditionally combine gin and vermouth, the lots of vodka, no-vermouth versions are most popular these days. Global variations may serve vermouth on the rocks as a martini, deviating from the classic recipe most of us know today. Martinis used to be served in smaller glasses to keep cooler, as I like to call them “tiny tinis,” but we’ll save that for another post.

Side Note: I had some fun with anchovies and capers garnish. If you haven’t seen that post yet, check it out here. Cheers!

Where to buy the goods? You know martini glasses, shakers, stirring spoons anchovies capers garnish and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!