Inspired, perhaps, by Jason Wilson’s columns on Martinis, I’ve remembered the joy of Perfect Martinis. Last night I took it one step further (because, I admit it, I am out of dry vermouth), and used a mixture of Lillet and sweet vermouth. Which, surprisingly, was the best Martini I’ve ever had.
Every month or so I get the craving for a Martini. Not really for a Martini – for The Martini, an ever-receding, platonic ideal. And every time I make a stab at that Martini (Plymouth, Noilly Prat, and home-made orange bitters – lemon twist), it’s never what I wanted. It’s cool and elegant, sure, but kind of… unapproachable, too. Like someone wearing one of those now-out-of-date perfumes that are brilliant, beautiful, and too weird to actually exist in the modern world.
Perfectest Martini
- 2 oz gin (I use Plymouth almost exclusively)
- 2/3 oz sweet vermouth
- 1/3 oz Lillet blanc
- 2 dashes orange bitters (homemade orange-saffron)
Stir well, over ice. Garnish with a lemon peel.
It surely would have made Bond sneer, and sent Churchill into apoplexy, but I’m damned if it’s not one of the tastiest drinks I’ve had in a while. Sweet, yes, but not overly sweet – like a Manhattan’s kid sister. And, if you add a dash of Maraschino into the mix (and I highly recommend that you do, occasionally), you get a Martinez. Two drinks for the price of one.
