MarTini BaR
Many years ago growing up on the gleaming shores of Lake Tahoe, in the late afternoons when the sun was just tipping over the boat docks, it was common to hear the soft chatter of the summer parents asking each other what time it was, (not one wore a watch) but since the docks were in shadows, it was logically determined to be time for “Martinis”. The adults would then converge and start assembling sleek triangle glasses and interesting bottles of crystal clear liquids with exotic lables. With a slight shake of a stainless steel jar and funny little olives we would see the official cocktail time launched.
Those were the greatest of times at Tahoe and blissfully ginny, Beefeaters preferred in those days. As I grew up, it became more and more posh to drink the hybrid Martinis. Frank Sinatra was then the owner of the Cal-Neva and everyone drank to the tunes of the night and then went to the clubs to see great acts who were hanging around those few rustic casinos. These were stellar days and thus my tribute to our summer parents. If you have a great Martini adventure do tell, or a cool Martini, do blog. Bring your friends and come on over, the sun is tipping. Cheers!
History Lesson
The Martini is one of Americas great pleasures which was actually born in the USA, although this is debated, of course. Discovered sometime in the nineteenth century, the story is that it was founded in San Francisco, or Martinez, California, and/or in one of two bars in New York. West Coast defers to San Francisco and East Coast to New York. However, Martinez, California actually has a “birth plaque” commemorating the day on the north east corner of the intersection of Alhambra Avenue and Masonic Street.
Originally known as the “Martinez” the first creation had one ounce of Old Tom gin, two ounces of sweet vermouth,two dashes of maraschion cherry juice, one dash of bitters, shaken with ice, strained and served with a lemon twist. Another wacky story involves a patron that would take the ferry every morning from San Francisco to Martinez (then the state capital of California) where Professor Barman Jerry Thomas concocted the morning spirits to take the chill off his custmers travel. Others say the drink owes it’s name to Martini & Rossi, which is the brand name for the popular sweet vermouth. H.L. Mencken once called the Martini “the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet” and E.B. White called it “the elixir of quietude”.
Never-the-less, it has become a cultural icon and today you can visit Martini Bars that exclusively concoct this divine drink a million ways. It’s eternal, it’s marvelous, it’s absolutely fabulous to have one or two or three.
The original and fun nick name for the Martini was the “silver bullet”, I guess this might have been during the Al Capone days. Since Coors Beer has entitled it’s “light beer” “Silver Bullet” and spent zillions of dollars branding the beverage, it’s rare to have one order a silver bullet anymore and expect a sleek, clear, taunting, icy drink in a sexy triangle glass. Thus new names have spun from the juniper berries, such as Park Avenue, Black and White, Fuzzy, the Gibson and Knickerbocker. Those receipes to follow and how delicious! But what makes a great Martini? Mostly gin and dry white vermouth or since the 1960’s, vodka. Either it’s a Gin Martini or a Vodka Martini, but look what happens in the interpretation, gorgeous colors, sublime tastes and lovely presentations.
Legendary people have always been drawn to the martini and a few of these fine souls include Winston Churchill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cary Grant, President Franklin Delano Rosevelt, Truman Capote, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, John F. Kennedy, Dorthy Parker, Gerald Ford and Herb Caen to name a few. It was known that FDR even carried his own “martini kit” for international jogs and summits. On a health note, there have been (amazingly enough) scientific studies by various institutes that have determined that a shaken martini can be beneficialy to promote health, particularly by reducing those age-related problems such as stoke, cataracts and cardiovascular disease. British Medical Journal December 18, 1999 claims they are antioxidantal. WooHoo! So let’s all be well, drink Martinis responsibly, call a friend to drive and be nice to the bartenders.
Cool Recipes
Day Dream Martini
6 parts citrus vodka
1 part triple sec
2 parts fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon bar sugar
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled triangle glass.
Mama’s Martini
6 parts vanilla vodka
1 part apricot brandy
3 to 5 dashes Angostura bitters
3 to 5 dashes lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled triangle glass.
Park Avenue Martini
6 parts gin
1 part sweet vermouth
1 part pineapple juice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well.
Strain into a chilled triangle glass.
Smokey Martini
6 parts gin
1 part dry vermouth
1 teaspoon scotch
Lemon twist
Combine liquid ingredients in amixing glass with cracked ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled triangle glass and garnish with lemon twist.
Boomerang Martini
6 parts gin
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 parts dry vermouth
1 dash maraschino liqueur
Kiwi slice
Stir all liquid ingredients with ice cubes in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled triangle glass and garnish with a kiwi slice.
Pretty Martini
4 parts vodka
1 part Grand Marnier
1 part Amaretto
1 part dry vermouth
Orange twist
Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled triangle glass and garnish with orange twist.
Summer Breeze Martini
6 parts citrus vodka
2 parts melon liqueur
1 part dry vermouth
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Melon ball
Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir well. Strain into a chilled triangle glass and garnish with a melon ball.
Portions From the Martini Book
By Sally Ann Berk (paraphrased)
and the Wikipedia
Michelle Plevel Toll Free 877.922.5900 x 175 or direct 775.750.5777
