Tonight, I decided to revisit an old standard that we had probably not tasted since before we began this experiment, the Dry Martini. For one, I wondered if our tastes had changed, and for another, I decided to try an older recipe. This recipe comes via David Wondrich's Imbibe, from Charlie Mahoney's Hoffman House Bartender's Guide, 1906. The Dry Martini first arose with the advent of dry gin in the late 1880's, as sweetened drink in general became outmoded.
Dry Martini
1.5 oz Dry Gin
1.5 oz French Dry Vermouth
1 ds Orange Bitters
Stir in a mixing glass full of shaved ice, strain into a cocktail glass and squeeze a lemon or orange peel on top.
The verdict: This Martini was considerably more lovely than other martinis I have had. Perhaps it was the inclusion of the orange bitters that brought it all together. Perhaps it was the Noilly Prat vermouth, or the fact that the vermouth hasn't been sitting around neglected and gone bad. (Yes, that's possible - common, even.) Scott thought at first that it was mainly a very floral gin, and could not entirely pull out the vermouth. I take that as a good sign that the vermouth was not overwhelming, despite the equal portions.
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