Martinis and other cocktails
I was listening to a bartending related podcast a little while ago and it reminded me of one of my pet peeves: the issue with martinis.
I'm not sure about the exact time, but it seems that about 5-8 years ago many bars discovered that they could boost sales by giving their cocktails names with the word "martini" in them. This tactic has a few things going for it, first and foremost being that most bar-going people have heard of martinis, even if they don't exactly know what they are. Then there is the cool factor of martinis, which are, in many people's minds, associated with James Bond. Last, there is the non-PC girly drink issue: it's easier for the average man to order a pineapple martini than a Bahama Mama, even if they are one and the same.
While this naming-everything-martini thing works out great for bars, it hurts cocktail culture because it essentially mis-educates people. So, to help in the fight against the everything-is-a-martini crowd, let's define the martini.
A martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth. Historically dry and/or sweet vermouth were used. Today, most usually a martini will contain dry vermouth, making it a dry martini. The ratio of gin to vermouth can be anywhere from 2:1 to 10:1. If you use less vermouth, you are more or less drinking cold gin, which is ok if that's what you like, but you wouldn't call it a martini. Another variation on the martini that unjustly stretches the definition of the word is one made with vodka instead of gin. Once again, this is a matter of taste so we won't pass judgement on it, as long as it's ordered as a "vodka martini".
Next time you go to a fancy bar, remember that a martini is a classic cocktail made with gin and vermouth. It tastes great, if you ask me. And while there are many other great tasting cocktails out there, they need to get their own names, and not use the word martini.
I'm not sure about the exact time, but it seems that about 5-8 years ago many bars discovered that they could boost sales by giving their cocktails names with the word "martini" in them. This tactic has a few things going for it, first and foremost being that most bar-going people have heard of martinis, even if they don't exactly know what they are. Then there is the cool factor of martinis, which are, in many people's minds, associated with James Bond. Last, there is the non-PC girly drink issue: it's easier for the average man to order a pineapple martini than a Bahama Mama, even if they are one and the same.
While this naming-everything-martini thing works out great for bars, it hurts cocktail culture because it essentially mis-educates people. So, to help in the fight against the everything-is-a-martini crowd, let's define the martini.
A martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth. Historically dry and/or sweet vermouth were used. Today, most usually a martini will contain dry vermouth, making it a dry martini. The ratio of gin to vermouth can be anywhere from 2:1 to 10:1. If you use less vermouth, you are more or less drinking cold gin, which is ok if that's what you like, but you wouldn't call it a martini. Another variation on the martini that unjustly stretches the definition of the word is one made with vodka instead of gin. Once again, this is a matter of taste so we won't pass judgement on it, as long as it's ordered as a "vodka martini".
Next time you go to a fancy bar, remember that a martini is a classic cocktail made with gin and vermouth. It tastes great, if you ask me. And while there are many other great tasting cocktails out there, they need to get their own names, and not use the word martini.
posted by kemalcan at 08:45
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