Happy Hour | Shaken, not stirred: The Martini

Try not to confuse the multitude of drinks ending in “tini” with the true, honest-to-goodness cocktail. The martini is simple, classic and any true lover will scoff at the notion of vodka as an ingredient.

More Recipes:  2013 Cocktail Guide

This definitive cocktail has many histories, from the gold rush to a British rifle to the streets of New York, and all leading up to the version we know today. One thing any expert will all agree on, only three ingredients need be used – gin, vermouth and one single olive.

However, to make this the best, you’ll want a glass straight from the freezer, and you’ll want to mix the cocktail with lots of ice before straining. You know, shaken, not stirred.

Perfect Martini recipe

“The only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” – H.L. Mencken

• 1 lemon peel
• 1 green olive
• Ice
• 3 ½ oz. of gin
• 3 to 6 dashes of dry vermouth
• Toothpick

Pour your gin and vermouth into a shaker filled with ice.

Shake furiously for about 30 seconds.

Strain into your glass. Make sure you don’t pull it out of the freezer until this point.

Garnish with an olive and a swirl of lemon peel.

Pro-tip: Slice your lemon peel thinly, making sure not get any of the bitter pith underneath. You’ll want it to be a little longer than the height of the glass. Twirl the peel around a stirrer or straw and gently add to your cocktail. The peel leaves a slight bit of citrus oil on the top of the drink, adding to the depth of this cocktail’s flavors.

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Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on Food Network's “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic lifestyle content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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