Via Never Yet Melted ｻ The Dry Martini who pours a double and settles in at Dry Martini | The New Yorker
The Martini is in, the Martini is back—or so young friends assure me. At Angelo and Maxie’s, on Park Avenue South, a thirtyish man with backswept Gordon Gekko hair lowers his cell as the bartender comes by and says, “Eddie, gimme a Bombay Sapphire, up.” At Patroon, a possibly married couple want two dirty Tanquerays—gin Martinis straight up, with the bits and leavings of a bottle of olives stirred in. At Nobu, a date begins with a saketini—a sake Martini with (avert your eyes) a sliver of cucumber on top. At Lotus, at the Merc Bar, and all over town, extremely thin young women hold their stemmed cocktail glasses at a little distance from their chests and avidly watch the shining oil twisted out of a strip of lemon peel spread across the pale surface of their gin or vodka Martini like a gas stain from an idling outboard. They are thinking Myrna Loy, they are thinking Nora Charles and Ava Gardner, and they are keeping their secret, which is that it was the chic shape of the glass—the slim narcissus stalk rising to a 1939 World’s Fair triangle above—that drew them to this drink. Before their first Martini ever, they saw themselves here with an icy Mart in one hand, sitting on a barstool, one leg crossed over the other, in a bar small enough so that a cigarette can be legally held in the other, and a curl of smoke rising above the murmurous conversation and the laughter. Heaven.
… RTWT AT Dry Martini | The New Yorker
Gerard Van der Leun
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I remain unconvinced. Unless someone has started serving martinis in juice boxes or sippy cups.
Now that you mention it, I have never had one.
shaken or stirred
Might have to change that.
Gin is one of the leading causes of soccer riots. Keep that in mind. I really enjoy a gin & tonic. Hot summer day? Wow. A martini is 98% gin… a hint of vermouth… an olive floating in it… poured really cold but you’re drinking straight out of the bottle essentially.
Never had a Martini but have enjoyed a Gin and Tonic on a nice day.
If you ask me, being English is the leading cause of soccer riots.
Quite possibly, the best drink ever.
Ahhh yes. The martini and cocktail hour. At our house cocktail hour begins at 4 pm, maybe 5 pm, and lasts for an hour or two. During that time the grandchildren know to be quiet as that is the time for conversation. Oh the conversations we have had. FDR called it the “Childrens Hour” and we would have to agree. The Mrs tends to prefer a gin and tonic. Once in a while a Manhattan sneaks into the mix. Bourbon is for later on the patio with a nice cigar. Need I say we are now retired!
The martini story was written by Roger Angell who died last week aged 101. His mom Katherine Sergeant was one of the earliest at the The New Yorker, and was an editor for the founder Harold Ross. She divorced Mr. Angell when Roger was nine years old and shortly-after married writer E.B. White who contributed greatly to the magazine and to Roger’s life, too. Roger wrote hundreds of articles and was especially entranced by the game of baseball. He lived the golden age of that magazine. I subscribed to it for about 25 years until the selection of Barry Soetoro of Kenya as POTUS. At that moment something totally putrid happened to The New Yorker and it’s best to “fuggedaboudit” as they say in that region. However, this obituary of Roger Angell is worth reading to reflect upon bygone days when the magazine and New York City was a class act.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/postscript/remembering-roger-angell-hall-of-famer
They lost me when that Tina Brown bint ran an advertorial for Gillette’s latest razor. Should have happened sooner.
Gin & Tonic, with a twist of lime. Classic yachtsman’s drink, after a day on the water.
And deadly, sneakily effective. Do not pour until all dock lines are made fast, shoreside connections to power, water and phone are secured, and the ship is in all respects, finished with all engines.
I can sip bourbon for hours, and yet remain coherent. Two G&T’s though? I’m not as think as you drunk I am!
Jim
Drunk Gnu Dwan
Galvesshton, TX
I have a beautiful set of art deco martini glasses that I’ll break out when the occasion strikes my gal & I. I’ve always preferred vodka martinis with a dry vermouth as opposed to the sweet, rosy types. And it’s not a martini to me without 3 fat green olives on a toothpick swirling about.
Back in the day when I had my studio on Wazee just down the from the Oxford Hotel in LoDo, Friday nights after work I’d take anyone left in the shop with me for a couple excellent rounds of martinis. Or go alone. Wonderful bar.
Art deco martini glasses sounded tasty so I looked em up.
I likes, might buy em.
https://www.oamteqit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11031
Cocktails now at my age are few & far between so I try to make the most of the occasion. My shaker is my mom’s, been using it for decades. Funny how the most inconsequential things come to mean something huh? When I’m gone, it’ll be black bagged & off to the dump and no one will be the wiser.
I use the glasses for my second favorite cocktail as well-Lillet and vodka with a lime twist-it’s a perfect summer eve drink.
Enjoy gs
After reading your comment I went ahead and ordered them. Very rarely do I drink hard stuff and only occasionally the traditional 3 cheap brews, so yeah, like you few and far between. When our son moved out 20 years ago he left a whole rig of bar items including an industrial blender and I think there is a shaker and strainer in the mess. Have to dig that stuff out. Yep, sit on the porch, sippin, watch the birds, light conversation with the wife.
Alcohol was not my friend, and we had to part ways many years ago. Nonetheless, I have a fond recollection of the the few martinis that I did drink. It always felt classy ordering one at the bar. I never ended up having too many, and regretting it. Can’t say the same for beer.
JWM
Cocktails are served at 4:00 PM (I’m retired). A Bombay (white label – Sapphire is too high octane) Martini is my daily drink. 9 oz gin, 1 oz vermouth. Shaken. Life is good!
I only like the fake and fruity ones–you know, appletini, berry-tini , peartini, etc. You don’t even need gin! The best thing about the classic martini is the glass and garnish, which can be utilized with other libations. The Peeptini is a good example of innovative garnishment and is perfect for Easter dinner.
http://www.peeptinis.com/
If you are retired, occasional day drinking is permissable.
I never was a big cocktail drinker, I like my whiskey like I like my women, straight.
Of course I’ve drank my share of mixed drinks over the years, and associated with some somewhat kinky women but, with the exception of gin or vodka tonics and Anita Arduio, found none especially memorable.
I was several years ago at a confab in a large house, and I took it upon myself to make before-dinner cocktails for the group. I poured out a dozen or so traditional martinis: 4:1 gin/vermouth, lemon twist, stirred. After I served them I went back to the kitchen and busied myself with special requests and a second set. While doing so I noticed the volume level of the folks went from polite and sedate conversations to sparkling laughter in the space of 10 minutes. That’s how I learned first-hand the value and power of cocktails to lubricate social interactions.
Loosen the hinge screws at the back of the tongue.
First as Tragedy. Then as LARP.
Try this:
Fill shaker with Belvedere vodka over ice. Martini glass from the freezer. Two cocktail onions on little sticks. Shake 1-2 minutes and pour. After half of the drink is gone, you will note that many of your earthly concerns have abated somewhat.
We have conducted research on this matter for the AD community.
Cheers.
I HAVE MADER zee variashun wit Belvdeer woodka and some fizzy grapefroot st5uff. Then poor over beeg chunk ub the ide (ice) and i wurks purty gud
I’ve grown lately fond of my “Dirty Dave Down South” = 1 jigger of your favorite gin, 1 jigger of your favorite mezcal, 1 tablespoon of some clean (minimal to no preservatives)olive brine, lemon twist, stirred, shaken whatever over ice.