How to Make a Martini

Stirred, never shaken — clarity is the entire point. The Martini is a test you either pass or fail, and there's no middle ground. Two ingredients means there's nowhere to hide.

The spec

• 2.5 oz gin (or vodka)
• 0.5 oz dry vermouth
• Lemon twist or olives, to finish

How to make it

Add the gin and vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30 seconds — you're chilling and diluting, not aerating. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express a lemon twist over the surface, or add olives. Serve immediately, while it's still painfully cold.

Wet, dry, or dirty

More vermouth makes a "wet" Martini; less makes it "dry." A "dirty" Martini adds a splash of olive brine. Start at the 5:1 ratio above and adjust to taste — but don't skip the vermouth entirely. A glass of cold gin is not a Martini.

Why stir, not shake

Shaking aerates the drink and clouds it with tiny ice shards. For anything spirit-only and served up, you stir — it keeps the Martini silky and crystal clear. Save the shaker for anything with citrus or egg.

The glass

The stir is where the drink is made, so it starts in a proper engraved mixing glass. Serve it up in a chilled coupe.

Hang the ratio on the wall with the Martini spec print, and build the rest of your bar with our home bar guide.