A Classic for a Reason

One of our favourite cocktails to enjoy in the colder months is a dirty martini. As lovers of all things savoury, there’s something about ice-cold gin and briny olives that pairs so well with a cozy night in. However, we’ve been experiencing a warm fall, which is a rare treat for us Canadians. This warm weather has us craving summer flavours, while the falling leaves have us reaching for our autumnal favourites. Our answer to this dilemma was this cocktail. The vibrancy of tomato pairs beautifully with the herbal flavours of gin and vermouth, and its natural umami flavour is enhanced by the olive brine and MSG, making it a welcome addition to a dirty martini. With the late summer flavours of tomatoes featured in an ice-cold martini, this cocktail captures the essence of the transition between seasons in a glass.

What is a martini?

When it comes to iconic cocktails, the martini takes the cake. Often seen in the hands of Golden Age movie stars and iconic characters like James Bond, the martini is associated with class and elegance. Made up of gin and vermouth, you would think that the martini is a relatively simple cocktail to make. However, if you asked five different people how to make a proper martini, you would probably end up with five different answers. With its own set of vocabulary and endless variations, the martini is wrapped in as much mystery as 007.

Some popular martini variations include:

• Dry Martini: If there is anything that could be considered as the standard martini, this is it. In martini lingo, “dry” refers to a martini with a lower ratio of dry vermouth.
• Wet Martini: This refers to a martini with a higher ratio of dry vermouth. So, adding more dry vermouth makes a martini wet? We’re not sure about the logic there either.
• 50-50: This is a martini with a 1:1 ratio of gin and vermouth.
• Dirty Martini: Our personal favourite. This martini variation adds some olive brine to the cocktail.
• Perfect Martini: This variation uses equal amounts of dry and sweet vermouth.
• Naked Martini: This one forgoes any stirring. Instead, you simply store the gin in the freezer, then pour it into a glass with the vermouth.
• Vodka Martini: As the name suggests, this martini variation replaces gin with vodka.
• Vesper: From Casino Royale, this iconic cocktail consists of gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc (originally Kina Lillet) shaken with ice.

All in all, how somebody enjoys their martini is just as personal as how they enjoy their coffee. Try out these different variations and find your favourite. Remember that the “proper” way to make a cocktail is the way you like it best.

Glutamate and  MSG

Is MSG bad for your health? There are many myths surrounding this seasoning, and we hope to clear a few of those up. First, let's talk about the building blocks of this wonderful umami-dust. Glutamate is an amino acid, and component of animal and vegetable food proteins. It may very well be in your favorite ingredients: grapes, tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan, and some fruit juices. Monosodium glutamate is an isolated salt version of this, and can be added to food to enhance its flavor (similar to an iodized table or kosher salt). If you are on a low sodium diet, limiting the amount of MSG in your food is recommended, as it is a salt. However, outside of this, MSG does not pose a health risk to someone eating it. The fear surrounding MSG's health risks are the result of a racist campaign against Asian cuisine in the USA, and not grounded in any true research. Of course, you should listen to your doctor regarding your dietary needs; however, glutamate and MSG are not to be feared and, in fact, are a wonderful source of umami in your cooking.

Tips and tricks

While there isn't a singular way to enjoy a martini, there are a few things you can do to make it as delicious as possible:

• Shaken or stirred: The general rule of cocktails is to shake anything with citrus and/or egg whites and stir everything else. This is because shaking a cocktail emulsifies ingredients like citrus and egg whites. Shaking a cocktail also breaks the ice more, which provides more dilution in addition to chilling the finished drink. Meanwhile, stirring a cocktail keeps the ice cubes intact, providing less dilution while chilling the drink. So, does that mean James Bond, the king of martinis, was mistaken while making his iconic order? Some people might think so, but if you’re looking for more dilution in your martini, this might be the way for you.
• Cold as ice: The key to any martini, regardless of the variation, is the temperature. You want to make the martini as cold as possible, and there are a few ways to achieve this. One popular way to ensure a martini will be cold is to put your gin in the freezer before making your cocktail. This makes sure that the gin is already extremely cold before stirring it with ice. You can also place your glass in the freezer as you mix your cocktail to help keep your drink cold for as long as possible once poured. Finally, the size of your glass can also have an effect on the temperature of your cocktail. Try opting for a smaller coupe or cocktail glass with a capacity of 4-5 oz.
• Storing Vermouth: Vermouth can be a divisive ingredient. Some people hate it so much that they omit it from their martinis all together. One famous example is Winston Churchill, who was said to make his martini by pouring ice-cold gin and bowing in the direction of France. However, this vermouth hate may have more to do with how it's stored than its flavour. Though it is present in many cocktails, vermouth is technically a fortified wine, not a liqueur. This means that unlike many of the ingredients you might find on your bar cart, vermouth is not shelf stable and needs to be refrigerated once opened. If it isn’t stored in the fridge, vermouth will oxidize, making it turn sour. Even then, it will only last for 1-2 months in the fridge, making the age and storage of your vermouth a very important factor in your martini.

How to make it

Infuse and strain

Cut a tomato in half, scoop out the pulp, and put it and any juices into a jar or tupperware container. Add your gin, and let it sit until the tomato flavor has infused into the gin (about 3 hours). Strain this through a damp coffee filter or paper towel to get the solids out; a pour over coffee filter works great for this.

Stir

Add the tomato gin, vermouth, brine, salt, and MSG to the mixing glass with ice. Stir until the mixing glass is foggy and cold to the touch. Make sure the bottom of the spoon (the convex side, not the concave side) is always in contact with the wall of the mixing glass to avoid chipping the ice.

Strain and serve

Pour the cocktail into chilled glasses using a hawthorne strainer. For an extra smooth martini, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any stray ice shards. Chilling your glasses while you make your drink helps to keep it cold the entire time you are drinking it. If you want, skewer a few olives on a cocktail pick or small skewer, and balance it on the rim or place straight into the martini. Enjoy!