Kate: The best martini I have ever had was made with gin and garnished with fat green olives stuffed with a locally made bleu cheese. I shall never forget it!

comment left Jun 27

Cynthia: Yes -- I'd imagined the martini would need to be small, especially for someone who only drinks hard liquor occasionally. But I thank you for the warning. Sometimes drinks that are too tasty sneak up on you.

comment left Jun 26

Cynthia: I definitely want to try Pinckney's martini recipe. I don't like vodka, but gin, so I have never liked the currently popular martinis. The story about the American martini reminds me of when I was traveling in Italy with my parents, and my dad kept trying to get a good martini, and he eventually learned that you had to ask for a "martini cocktail," otherwise, all you were served was vermouth.

In answer to the day's question -- favorite olives depend. Removed from any context other than taste, I'd say ripe green olives, no pits, are my favorites. However, green olives stuffed with tuna or blue cheese are dandy, and would make a good second choice.

comment left Jun 26

Pinckney: Interesting recipe for Dirty Martini - and made by a Brit, too, for the love of God. The last time I was in Britain I inquired at the bar if they knew how to make an American Martini. "Yes, of course" insisted the barmaid and proceeded to serve up a glass of sweet Martini & Rossi vermouth.

A classic Martini is a small cocktail, not the four ounce blast shown in the video above served in a sherbert glass. The three Martini lunch could be tolerated when the Martini was a reasonable sized drink.... two to three ounces including water from melted ice.YES. A Martini has water in it!

My favorite Martini recipe - and I drank a lot of Martinis - isn't to everyone's taste, especially those who make their Martinis with vodka and a whisper of vermouth or just plain gin on the rocks with a twist. That would equate to a Manhattan made with just rye whiskey and a cherry.

Martini - as dirty as you like it.
Chill small cocktail glasses. (today, these would be considered sissy sized cordial sized glasses.
Use equal amounts best gin and dry vermouth. To make a pitcher of Martinis, use 4 ounces of each and a bar spoon of olive brine.
Pour gin and vermouth over ice cubes, stir vigorously until condensation forms on the pitcher and strain into small cocktail glass es of maybe two or three ounces. Twist a lemon peel over each drink an add an olive or two and serve.

This is reputed to be the Martini Roosevelt served Stalin. Stalin didn't like it, but it was gin not vodka and Stalin was a vodka drinker, I believe.

Use equal parts best quality gin and

comment left Jun 26