Learning how to make a proper Vodka Martini is a rite of passage. After all, if you’re looking at cocktails through a pop-culture lens, it’s quite literally one of the most famous drinks in movie history. While Daniel Craig’s James Bond shook things up with a Vesper Martini, it was Sir Sean Connery with that purring Scottish brogue who first brought the Martini into the limelight. His Martini, the true classic, was made with vodka—shaken, not stirred.
Vodka Martini
PREP TIME 5 min
INSTRUCTIONS
01
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
02
Add the vodka and vermouth and stir (or shake) until chilled
03
Strain into a martini glass
04
Garnish with an olive or lemon peel and serve
How to make a Vodka Martini
What’s in a Vodka Martini, exactly? Ah, that’s the beauty of this cocktail. It only contains two ingredients, but they marry so exquisitely that it’s a match made in heaven. What it comes down to is a clean, taut, beautiful Martini with vodka and vermouth.
Should you shake a Vodka Martini?
If you’re having Sean Connery’s James Bond over for after-dinner drinks, this would definitely be the way to go. However, as with many things in this topsy-turvy life, this particular choice comes down to personal preference. See, shaking a Martini will result in a different type of drink than you would get when you stirred it.
When you stir a Vodka Martini, it chills and dilutes the cocktail somewhat. You will also get a very clear drink that looks quite classy in a long-stemmed Martini glass. When you combine your Vodka Martini mixture in a cocktail shaker with ice, it changes the texture of the drink as well. The process aerates the liquid with little bubbles that are held in suspension in the cocktail, resulting in a cloudier appearance. It’s also said to dissolve the vermouth better.
We say try it both ways and see which one you like best.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These days, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to different types of martinis—there are basic ones that stick to tried-and-tested recipes, and brand-new kinds with plenty of bells and whistles. However, the original Martini was made with gin. As such, the Vodka Martini, although it's very similar in terms of assembly, is actually a variation upon the original.
A beautifully simple, yet completely elegant, Italian cocktail that combines high-quality vodka and dry vermouth. It is normally prepared in a cocktail shaker and served in an ice-cold martini glass with an olive or lemon peel as garnish.
Gin has a very distinctive taste due to the complex botanical flavor of juniper berries, while vodka offers more of a blank slate. When you are hosting a get-together it's often nice to give your guests the option to choose between the two spirits as the base of the drinks you serve.
