A Classic

Some things in life never seem to lose their luster. One of those things, for me, is the classic vodka martini. I know some people will argue that a martini isn't a martini unless you use gin, but as I am not a fan of gin (one of the few in the alcohol family I actively dislike), I make my 'classic' with vodka.

This week, my friend Tami & I went out for one of my favorite things - happy hour. We ordered a Grey Goose martini, extra dry, extra olive. .

A slight story detour - related to the use of this preferred vodka. Last year, my brother Chip came out to visit for a couple of days, and asked to use my Effen black cherry vodka with diet coke. I strongly discouraged him (re: refused) from using my high quality vodka with some bad mixer. A debate between Scott, Chip & myself ensued, resulting in a vodka taste test. [BTW, I will cover Effen in a future blog]

Off Scott went to our neighborhood liquor store, Abes. He returned with a bottle of Popov and a bottle of Grey Goose. We used some Skyy we already had at home as the mid-range option. Scott poured six shots, two of each kind, and lined them randomly on the kitchen counter. Chip & I proceeded to try each of the shots, and then say which was which.

The results were not pretty - I couldn't really tell the difference between them. Not to make excuses, but I had already had a drink or two, and that certainly makes it hard to discern much of anything. Chip did better than I did - he could call out Popov, but couldn't always tell the difference between the Skyy and Grey Goose.

So - back to the topic at hand. The moral to this story (at least my moral) is that when you are 'mixing' drinks, using an expensive vodka will not necessarily improve the quality of the drink. However, when you are drinking something 'straight' (be it bourbon in a manhattan, vodka in a martini), a good quality vodka will feel smoother, and make a cocktail more 'drinkable'. Also - let people drink what they want, or one's husband will ask every waiter/waitress since then if they have Popov, as that is your preference. :)

Here is how you make the classic martini at home:

Classic Vodka Martini

Vodka (your personal favorite will work, Popov or otherwise)
Dry Vermouth
Olive(s)

Chill your martini glass - fill with ice cubes & bit of water and let sit. Pour out the ice & water when ready
Pour a teaspoon of vermouth in the chilled glass. Swirl it around, and then pour it out. (Very little vermouth is what makes a martini 'extra dry'. If you like vermouth, feel free to leave it in, or add to your shaker).
Add 1 part vodka to a martini shaker
Shake well
Place 2 skewered olives into chilled glass
Pour vodka into glass
Enjoy!

Don't forget to use good quality olives here. You can now find lots of different flavors, stuffed or otherwise, at the grocery store. I like blue cheese, but jalepeno, and classic green olives work great as well. Oh - and olives don't count as dinner. Try to eat something when you are drinking!

A small warning - after one of these, a second will seem like a great idea. Try to avoid this if you can, as a two martini night leads to two things: lots of fun, and a hangover.