Forget Diamonds! Martini's Are A Girls Best

Forget Diamonds! Martini's Are A Girls Best

Martinis are absolutely the most well known and commercialized cocktail inbars and clubs around the world. James Bond loved them, sipping on 15 different types during his many films. They scream class, sophistication and sex appeal. Nastasia Campanella sips her way through the history of one of the worlds most cherished drinks.

Bars and clubs around the globe have made a mint from the sale of martinis. Some feature modern twists on classics and others mix a huge range of versions. Dry, on the rocks or straight up! How ever you have it, you can be sure your famous cocktail has an amazing story to tell. Yes, there was life before the stemmed glass.

The first cocktail ever to be mixed, the martini was born in 1862. History tells of the story of a young Professor making a drink for a gold miner. Professor, Jerry Thomas was working at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco at the time and he named the drink Martini as the miner was to travel to the area of Martinez in California later that day. The original recipe which Thomas created consisted of Old Tom Gin, sweet Vermouth, Maraschino and Bitters with a slice of fresh lemon slung over the rim of the glass.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the martini enjoyed a happy period, with sales skyrocketing. It wasn't until the time of prohibition however, that the drink was made truly special. In a sense, the ban on alcohol during this time backfired for the government. Many bar tenders created cocktails behind closed doors. The ingredients needed to make martinis were the cheapest and easiest to mix in a secret world of forbidden pleasures. Speaking of pleasures. Rumour has it the martini was given its sexy image as the V-shaped glass connotates the symbol of the sacred feminine. Apparently, men saw this as "drinking from a woman", [now I know why Bond, James Bond loved sipping slowly, taking the taste of the alcohol in].

Come the early 1900's and the cocktail had gained a notable place in the hearts of drinkers in bars and nightclubs everywhere, moving the martini from not only other parts of America, but right around the world. Twists on the original classic popped up in bars andclubs. When high quality Gin started being produced, the dry form of the cocktail was born. A dry martini is one with less Vermouth and much more Gin in fact; some would say the dry martini might as well be a cold glass of Gin. Another popular twist is the Montgomery Gin and Vermouth mixed at a ratio of 15 to one and it is alleged that this was the odds Field Marshall Montgomery wanted to have before going into battle]. Apart from the styles of martinis, there are even specific customs and pedantic methods of mixing the cocktail. Apparently, Winston Churchill always stood in the direction of France when pouring the alcohol together, General Patten pointed the Gin bottle towards Italy and Ernest Hemingway would drop a shot of Vermouth into a glass and tip it out before filling it with Gin.

Certainly, the martini could have been seen as a drink of the stars. Films made post prohibition featured the drink on the big screen with many actors spotted holding martinis, drinking martinis or at least talking about them. Of course, in the late 80's, after advertising agents cottoned on to the peoples passion for this poison, all kinds of alcohols, fruits and sweets were added. This saw the introduction of the vodka martini, the green apple martini and the chocolate martini. This period also saw martinis being served with less conventional garnishes like salty olives and pickled onions.

Debate still rages as to whether the newer forms of martinis can even be called martinis. My personal view is that we are in a world that is ever changing. Experimenting is what life is all about isn't it? I mean, isn't that how Professor Jerry Thomas came up with the worlds favourite cocktail in the first place?

By Nastasia Campanella

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