Eric Asimov has an important column in the NYT today, looking at the perfect gin for a martini. This is research worth doing, and I'm only sorry I couldn't participate in the testing. He quickly deals with some of my pet peeves:
- A martini is made with gin. If you order a martini, it should come with gin; if you want a vodka martini, go ahead and order it, but if a bartender gets an order for a martini they should not ask "Gin or vodka."
- A martini has vermouth, in about 4:1 or 5:1 proportions. All this "wave a bottle of vermouth over it" is nonsense. If you want to drink gin up, order gin up. It's a fine drink, it's just not a martini.
- Shaken/stirred, who cares.
The one peeve not addressed was the glass itself. As anyone who has tried to drink a martini while standing at a cocktail party, being jostled by people and trying to snag some food from a tray coming by knows, the glass is made for spilling. I've taken to ordering my martini in a tumbler at that sort of event; to my mind it tastes the same and more of it is consumed than slopped on the floor.
For the record, while Hendricks Gin was not selected as the best martini gin, it's my favorite. Take note.