"Julie Bove" > wrote:
> [ . . . ]
> Oooh. I haven't had a Martini in years. I know I would like a dirty
> one. As a kid (and sometimes as an adult), I would drink the juice from
> the green olives. Yum!

My Saturday night special:

Here's how I've been doing them for the last decade or five:

You need a quality Gin (I use Tanqueray - cheaper Gins are OK for Sloe Gin
Fizz or Gin & Tonic, although Beefeater or Bombay is about my limit, and
they're excellent, too), a quality Dry Vermouth (I use Martini & Rossi or
Cinzano, but there are also some fine French and Californias, too) and
TIMING. I can't stress the latter enough. If you don't bring the alcohol
content down to 35% abv or slightly less (to taste), it will be too strong
and taste too much of alcohol. The same goes with Manhattans, by the way. I
sequence the building of the drink(s) as follows:

Put the glasses in the freezer. Fill the mixing vessel with ice enough to
cover the amount of beverage you'll be making. Add about 3-1/2 oz (7 second
pour) of Gin/drink. Swirl gently for a few seconds. Remove the Dry Vermouth
from the 'fridge and add one capful (1 or 2 tsp?)/drink. Swirl briefly.
Replace the Vermouth to the 'fridge and get out the bottle of pimento
stuffed largest olives you could buy. Get out some hardwood toothpicks.
Spear one olive/drink, two if your serving Martinis Rocks (blasphemy! I
don't want ice cubes to continue diluting my drink as I'm sipping it!).
Remove the glasses from the freezer and put the olives in them. Gently stir
(never shake - that bruises the Gin and puts air bubbles in a drink that
should be clear) and strain into the glasses. Kiss, toast, sip, enjoy.
Repeat as necessary. You may have to experiment to get the ratios to your
liking, but that's the price of progress. Please let me know what you end
up with.

Confucius say: Martinis are like breasts; one isn't enough and three is too
many!

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
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