Today’s cocktail is a lost classic. You don’t really see too many people ordering it anymore these days, but it’s one of those timeless cocktails that is instantly recognizable. The Vodka Martini, also known as a Vodaktini or a Kangaroo. Martini purists will balk if you ever order one in their presence – a Martini is meant to use gin and ONLY gin after all – but we aren’t traditional like that, we love our vodka and we think it taste great.
The drink is really flexible in how it’s made, in the sense that you can control the ratios to your liking (There isn’t one “right” way). The “standard” is 5 is to 1 vodka to vermouth (as we like it) but in Europe some prefer a slightly higher ratio of 6:1. The garnish is also flexible, the most common being an olive or lemon twist, and whether it’s shaken or stirred (thanks Mr. Fleming!) is up to you as well. The only real rule to making a great vodka martini is using the appropriate glassware (a martini glass) and to serve it ice cold, because a warm martini just tastes like lighter fuel.
This is by no means a definitive recipe, but this is how we like it.
A Vodka Martini
1 part dry vermouth (we prefer Noilly Prat Original Dry)
5 parts vodka
pour vermouth and vodka into a mixing glass and fill with ice cubes. Shake or Stir well, then strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of a lemon peel or with olives and serve.