Italian vermouth Martini (Martini) has tens, even hundreds of millions of adherents around the world. But have you ever wondered how to drink a Martini? First, let’s take a look at the drink…
For more than a century and a half of the history of this drink, a few, but firmly established rules for its use have been developed. They can be divided into 3 groups. The first of these is common to any Martini variety used in its pure form. The second is related to the features inherent in a particular variety of this drink, in particular, it contains some recommendations on how to drink Martini Bianco or, say, Martini Rosso. The third concerns the use of Martini in mixes and cocktails.
Martini in its purest form
First of all, you need to keep in mind that any Martini is a natural aperitif, so it is advisable to serve it before meals.
Further, it is worth considering that the Martini should be somewhat chilled. Its temperature should not exceed 15°C, but you should not lower the bar below 10°C. The ideal option is considered to be 12 ° C, at which the drink reveals the fullness of its flavor bouquet and acquires a light, refined aroma. Of course, it is desirable to cool the entire bottle at once without compromising the original purity of the drink. But if there is a person in the company who is currently contraindicated in drinking cold, then the rest can meet him halfway by adding a few ice cubes to their glasses with uncooled Martini.
In addition, we should not forget that there are special cone-shaped Martini glasses, also called cocktail glasses. But if those are not at hand, then, depending on the type of drink, you can use glasses for white or red wine. In this case, a prerequisite is the presence of a high leg. This will allow you to drink your Martini without warming it with the warmth of your palm.
This drink is best enjoyed slowly, savoring every sip. Accordingly, if you were served a Martini with a cocktail tube, then it is better to put it aside, as an unnecessary intermediary between you and the drink.
Martini in mixes and cocktails
As an element of unencumbered youth parties, Martini is widely used in various mixes and cocktails. But even here there are subtleties.
For mixes, Martini Rosso and Bianco are best suited. In this case, the first is most often mixed with lemon, orange, pineapple or cherry juice (or better – fresh juice) in the ratio: two parts of Martini to one part of juice. The second, as a rule, is mixed with tonic, soda or lemonade in a ratio of one to one.
In cocktails, Martini Extra Dry is predominantly used. It is he who is an integral ingredient in such canonical drinks as Martini 50/50, Dry Martini and Vodkatini. However, there are no fundamental restrictions on the use of other Martini varieties in cocktails. For example, the well-known Negroni cocktail is made on the basis of Martini Rosso, and Martini Bianco is a classic component of not only brandy cocktails, but also orange-cranberry Bianco Sunrise.
Species nuances and features
As you know, there are 7 varieties of Martini: Rosso, Extra Dry, Bianco, Rosato, Doro, Fiero and Gold. The use of some of them is associated with certain features. First of all, we are talking about the first three (oldest) varieties of the drink, the “youngest” of which, Bianco, has already exceeded 100 years.
For example, Martini Rosso, unlike other types of drink, is perfectly consumed unchilled.
Martini Extra dry can act not only as an aperitif, but also as a table drink. An appetizer for him is a great white fish or some light salad.
Martini Bianco goes well with most light aperitifs. In addition to textbook olives, they include lemons, as well as virtually all sweet and sour fruits and berries. In this case, it is best if you throw olives or pieces of fruit directly into the glass or lower them there, strung on a skewer. There is also a very extravagant way to use this type of Martini from the “I love it or hate it” series: a slice of fresh onion or pickled onion is thrown into a glass with Bianco. After a few minutes of waiting, you can dare to sip the resulting drink and make an individual impression of it for the rest of your life.
Relevance: 19.07.2015
Tags: wine and vermouth