How to make the perfect martini

When it comes to turning out this classic libation, less is often more

It’s night-time in Corsica, or Ocho Rios, or Lima, or whichever destination you’ve decided to jet to in order to escape the daily pains of home life, even for a week or so, and the lead bartender and his juniors are thumping ice into tumblers, slicing up limes, and slamming bright ingredients around their shakers. Sure, the creamy froth on the piña colada looks pretty good, the jolts of vivid colours flooding through the tall glass of mai tai will shock sugar-fuelled life into your wary limbs, and a margarita is always a grand time.

However, whenever our skin is a little browned and the head is flapping ever so slightly in the humidity, we find that a martini will always cut through the heat. Of course, each drinker will defend to the death his own prep method for this iconic libation: some splash in a little olive brine, others add in cool slices of cucumber, and the sleepy-eyed turbocharge theirs with a shot or two of espresso.

Bottle of No. 3 London Dry Gin

Yet, all things considered, it’s a more pared-down, fuss-free method that does it for us, which comes courtesy of No. 3 London Dry Gin and comprises the label’s signature spirit, a little glug of vermouth and some lemon peel. Suggest it to the bartender, share it with your fellow drinking mates, recreate it at home and soothe that post-holiday comedown. It’s “a balance of simplicity and indulgence”, according to the brand – and a guaranteed way to have your eyes roll up into your head, according to us.

A full martini glass and a slice of lemon

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Spirit measure
  • Strainer
  • Martini glass

Method

1. Measure out the gin and vermouth

2. Stir over ice in a mixing glass

3. Garnish with a lemon twist and strain into a chilled martini glass

This feature was taken from Gentleman’s Journal’s Summer 2023 issue. Read more about it here…

Want more drinks content? Read about how Whispering Angel’s Sacha Lichine built the world’s most successful rosé brand (against the odds)…

Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out more here.

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.

Click here to find out more