Full Moon Martini Recipe: A Fancy co*cktail Perfect for Entertaining (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making a great martini at home? ›

Always make sure your martini glass is chilled, by either storing it in the freezer or by filling it with ice while you're stirring your drink. Another top tip from Hannah: when there is no hurry put the whole drink in the freezer for five minutes. Remember the chief objective - as cold as possible!

To make a large batch of martinis, you therefore need to add water to the gin and vermouth — as long as you're not going to shake it to order (which voids the point of batching co*cktails). Then all you need to do is grab it from the freezer, pour into a glass, and garnish it with olives.

A Vesper Martini comprises three shots London dry gin, one shot vodka and half a shot dry French wine aperitif. It's James Bond's drink of choice and, thanks to the movie franchise, is famously ordered with the specification for it to be "shaken not stirred".

Once you have consumed two, you must move on to a soft drink, such as wine or a gin and tonic. The reasons for this are obvious and I try to adhere to this rule at home. The rule is defended most enduringly (and elegantly) at Duke's Bar in Central London, where years of experience … Continue reading.

For a martini, potential questions include whether they would prefer it to be shaken or stirred, the choice of gin or vodka, and if they want it served with a twist, olives, or onions.

There are essentially two methods for batching a Martini. The first and the simplest involves scaling the recipe by the number of serves then stirring the drink with ice before serving. Multiply the recipe by the number of drinks, pour the liquids in a glass bottle with a seal and store in the freezer.

For a pitcher of traditional Martinis that will serve six, add 15 ounces of gin to a pitcher along with 3 ounces of dry vermouth. If you would prefer to make a Hemingway-style Martini (aka, a Dry Martini), scale the gin up to 16.5 ounces and use just 1.5 ounces dry vermouth.

Then, all you have to do is combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl, give them a quick stir, and re-bottle them in an empty 750 mL bottle. (If you don't have an empty spirits bottle yet, you can of course use whatever freezer-safe vessel you like.) After about six hours, it will be cold enough to serve.

How to make a co*cktail like a pro? ›

The general rule to make a balanced co*cktail is three components: one strong ingredient (your spirit of choice), one sweet ingredient (mixer or syrup), and one sour or bitter ingredient (such as fresh lime or bitters).

The Vesper, also known as the Vesper Martini, was invented by author Ian Fleming for his iconic British secret agent, James Bond. The drink first appeared in Fleming's Casino Royale, which was published in 1953, the co*cktail being named for the fictional double agent (and Bond love-interest) Vesper Lynd.

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

And just like Fleming, James Bond prefers his co*cktails shaken and not stirred. A traditional martini is stirred rather than shaken, but Fleming's biographer Andrew Lycett said that the author preferred his martinis shaken because he believed it preserved the flavor of the drink. Want a real Bond-style martini?

Perfect Martini

Calls for 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, ½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes Angostura Bitters. Serve with a lemon twist.

It's easy to think of a martini as a glass of straight liquor, but vermouth is absolutely key. Dry vermouth is clear or very pale yellow in color, so it blends in visually with the rest, but offers complex botanical flavors that you might describe as citrusy, herbaceous or floral.

Stirring your martini gives it a smooth texture and chills it down to icy-cold temperatures, while still allowing the juniper-flavor of gin to shine. Shaking it melts a ton of ice into the co*cktail creating a bubbly, watery soup.

Begin with a London dry-style gin. From there, add a little dry vermouth. The ratio is negotiable, but common formulas for a Dry Martini typically fall in the range of four-to-eight parts gin to one part vermouth. A dash of orange bitters ties the room together.