Classic Martini Recipe

Chill glass

Place the martini glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill it with coarse ice and set aside while you prepare the cocktail. Chilling the glass keeps the martini cold without diluting it further.

Measure ingredients

Measure 2.5 oz gin and 0.5 oz dry vermouth. Use a jigger for accuracy.

Combine and stir

Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with 1 cup of ice. Add the measured dry vermouth first, then the gin. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 full spoon rotations) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted. Stirring rather than shaking yields a clearer, silkier martini.

Prepare garnish

If using a lemon peel: take one lemon peel and express the oils by holding it over the glass and giving it a quick twist, then rub the rim with the peel and drop it in. If using an olive: thread one green olive on a cocktail pick.

Strain and serve

Discard the ice from the chilled glass if you used it to chill. Using a julep strainer or the shaker lid, strain the stirred gin and vermouth into the chilled martini glass. Garnish with the prepared lemon peel or olive and serve immediately.

Optional adjustments

For a drier martini, reduce vermouth to 0.25 oz or rinse the chilled glass with a small amount of vermouth and discard the excess. For a wetter martini, increase vermouth to 0.75–1 oz. If you prefer a slightly colder and more diluted drink, stir longer or add more ice when mixing.