Our man on the barstool presents an untrue martini origin story
James Bond was wrong, and clearly this is the reason he was never part of the Fake Secret Martini Society (FSMS). I made up the FSMS, so I’m allowed to say that.
There is one error that Bond always committed: he always had his martini shaken and not stirred. Wrong! When a martini is shaken, it bruises the gin by agitating and aerating the liquor, which will give it a much sharper and zingier taste. Bruised spirits are never the way to go, and oddly enough one of the great mysterious men of our time, 007 himself, did not know this.
After first being published in an 1880’s edition of the Bartender’s Manual, the martini started to take off and became popular around the 1920’s, coincidentally five years after the creation of the FSMS. The popularity of the traditional martini continued to rise to its height around the ‘50s and ‘60s.
The traditional martini is served cold with gin, dry vermouth and a green olive or lemon garnish. Although the ratio of gin to vermouth started off as 1:1, over time that ratio of gin to vermouth changed to 2:1, but martinis are commonly made more to taste now. The FSMS does not agree with this sentiment and meet regularly about the importance of staying to the classic 1:1 or 2:1 ratio.
There are a few important things to know when ordering your martini: you always want it stirred, not shaken. If you want your martini with less vermouth then ask for it dry, and if you’re a lover of olives then a dirty martini that adds a dash of olive brine may better suit your palate.
While many are at odds at the origin of the martini, I have recently found the “truth” during my interview with an anonymous FSMS member. (It was Leonardo DiCaprio!) It has been claimed that the martini was created during the California gold rush when a miner in Martinez, California asked for a pick-me-up. But I have it on good authority that the martini was actually created by none other than a founding member of the FSMS, Nikola Tesla.
Around the 1880’s when Tesla was working on alternating currents, it suddenly came to him: gin, vermouth and a twist of lemon. Although Tesla is undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of all time, I think many of us can now agree that the martini is right up there with his many brilliant inventions and ideas.
After this marvelous martini invention the popularity of this cocktail skyrocketed. From the old school “three martini lunch” practiced by many cosmopolitans, to the love shown by many writers, the martini is a classic and prestigious cocktail that has found its way into the heart of many generations.
You have FSMS members such as H.L. Mencken calling the martini, “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” While fellow American and FSMS member E. B. White called the martini “the elixir of quietude.” The martini has found its way into the minds of brilliant men and women, into the homes of millions, and into the literature of true greats.
The iconic traditional martini is a clean and crisp drink that brings out sweet herbal flavors that can be enhanced with a salty olive, or tangy twist of lemon.
The way you feel when drinking a martini is different than anything else, and was put perfectly by FSMS member Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms, “I’ve never tasted anything so cool and clean…they make me feel civilized.”
Classic Gin Martini
(courtesy of Esquire magazine)
- Fill a metal shaker with cracked ice.
- Pour in 1 ounce of dry vermouth, stir briefly, and strain out.
- Add 4 ounces of gin. You want your gin around 94 proof.
Stir briskly for about 10 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with an olive or lemon twist. My personal gin recommendations: Hendricks for a lighter more rose and cucumber flavor or St. George Botanivore for a more complex and juniper heavy taste, although many people recommend a gin with an ABV closer to 47%+.