The Best Martini Recipes From Classic to Dirty

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14 hours ago

The Best Martini Recipes From Classic to Dirty

Since emerging in the late 19th century, the Martini has gone through endless evolutions. From its slightly sweet beginnings with Old Tom gin and sweet vermouth to the bone-dry variations of the mid-century, the iconic drink has remained at the forefront of cocktail culture.

Interpretations of the classic Martini range from vodka variations like the Vesper, equal part builds like the 50/50, and savory renditions spiked with MSG or even salmon. We've selected our favorite traditionally-inspired Martini recipes that are sure to please a variety of palates. Whether you prefer a light, citrus-forward aperitif or a filthy, saline-rich variation with a snack, you'll find a Martini just for you.

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Gibson

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The Gibson is a Martini variation made with gin, dry vermouth, and a splash of salty brine and garnished with pickled pearl onions. The result is a cross between a classic style Martini and a Dirty Martini, balanced with just enough salty-and-sour savoriness.

Classic Martini

Matt Taylor-Gross

This classic recipe, from Brooklyn's award-winning cocktail and oyster den Maison Premiere, adds orange bitters and a bit more than the 2:1 gin-to-vermouth ratio. An option to garnish with both a twist and an olive is included in this recipe.

Ben's Martini

Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

This Martini was created for the opening menu at Hollywood hotspot, The Benjamin Hollywood, and is a classic, dry Martini made with Monkey 47 Gin, Noilly Prat Original Dry vermouth, and a lemon twist. Every Ben's Martini is served with a side of house-made chips, a touch that came directly from co-owner Ben Shenassafar.

Dirty Martini

Food & Wine / Tim Nusog

The Dirty Martini, made with either gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine, is older than you might think. It might seem like a modern creation, but this savory variation on the classic has been around since the early 20th century, often credited to a Waldorf Astoria New York bartender around 1901.

50/50 Martini

Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

A 50/50 Martini, made up of equal parts gin and dry vermouth, is likely the closest build to the earliest form of the Martini, which leaned vermouth heavy. A dash of orange bitters and lemon twist garnish makes this especially aromatic and citrus-forward.

Freezer Martini

Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This Martini can be made in big batches and frozen ahead of time. There's no ice, stirring, or shaking, and the ideal dilution is built into the batch: two parts gin, one part vermouth, and one part water. Alcohol has a low freezing point, and so this method won't freeze the drink, but rather, change the texture and thicken the viscosity, making this especially smooth.

Wet Martini

Tim Nusog / Food & Wine

The Wet Martini utilizes the 2:1 ratio, meaning there's more vermouth than in a classic dry version. Since it's not dominated by a single high-proof spirit, the drink offers a lighter flavor profile with slightly floral notes, and makes for an easy sipping Martini.

Vesper

Food & Wine / Tim Nusog

With the Vesper Martini, you don't have to choose between vodka or gin. Made with both gin and vodka, this mid-century creation is also known for its addition of aromatized wine. The spirit-forward cocktail is shaken with ice, strained into a coupe glass, and garnished with a lemon twist.

Dirty Martini Spritz

Food & Wine / Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop styling by Christina Daley

This drink is a Dirty Martini crossed with a Spritz, making it a lower-ABV riff on the classic cocktail. Inspired by the 50/50 Martini, this bubbly interpretation combines gin, dry vermouth, and olive brine with orange bitters and club soda. Garnish with both green olives and a lemon twist to embrace the everything but the kitchen sink approach to this cocktail.

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