The Dry Martini recipe
for your table
Pre-chill the martini glass with ice or place it in the freezer beforehand.
Fill a mixing glass with ice and pour in the gin and vermouth.
Stir for 30 seconds until the mixture is ice-cold. Stirring keeps the cocktail clear.
Strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a lemon zest or olive.
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The story
The origins of the Martini have been debated for generations. Did it originate in California during the Gold Rush as the 'Martinez', or does it owe its name to the Italian vermouth maker Martini & Rossi? What is certain is that the cocktail took its definitive form at the beginning of the twentieth century and only became 'drier' in the decades that followed: more and more gin, less and less vermouth. Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, and countless Hollywood stars contributed to the myth. One rule always remained: a Martini should be served ice-cold.
The right glass
For a Dry Martini, there is only one right choice: the classic martini glass with its cone-shaped bowl on a long stem. The stem prevents your hand from warming the drink, while the wide opening gives the aromas of gin and lemon plenty of room. Go for a compact size of 19 to 21 cl. A Martini should be small and ice-cold, not large and lukewarm. Our range includes both sleek modern and art deco-inspired variants. If you want a smaller glass that is less likely to spill, take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
RCR Timeless Martini glass 21 cl (6 pieces)
Onis Spksy Martini glass 19 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 70,90.
The right tools
For a Dry Martini, besides the glass you use a mixing glass, a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, a Julep strainer and a zester for the twist. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 115,70.
What do you use to make a Dry Martini?
For a Dry Martini, you need gin and jenever. Well-known bottles include Grey Goose and Martini. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
From 'wet' (more vermouth) to 'bone dry' (barely any vermouth), with an olive or a twist: the Martini is made to order. A Dirty Martini gets a splash of olive brine, while a Gibson gets a cocktail onion. Always ask guests about their preference. The conversation around it is part of the ritual. With Old Tom gin, maraschino and a trace of absinthe, it becomes a Tuxedo. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Store your gin in the freezer and your martini glasses in the refrigerator. Rub the rim of the glass with lemon zest before pouring. That first aroma makes all the difference.
Good to know
The gin-to-vermouth ratio
Six centiliters of gin to one centiliter of dry vermouth is 6 to 1, which is already fairly dry by modern standards. Around 1900, equal parts were still used; over the decades, the vermouth gradually decreased. If you really want to taste the vermouth, 5 to 1.5 or even 4 to 2 is a good choice, producing a pleasantly herbal martini. One important detail: dry vermouth is wine and oxidizes. Store the bottle in the refrigerator after opening and use it within a month; otherwise, you will mainly taste vinegar.
Shaken or stirred
Stir for thirty seconds, and there is a good reason for it. Shaking aerates the cocktail and breaks off tiny shards of ice, making the martini cloudy and causing it to lose its silky texture. In a drink made of nothing but gin and vermouth, that is immediately noticeable. Stir with plenty of ice in a mixing glass until the outside fogs up; this dilutes the drink by about twenty percent, just enough to tame the alcohol. The shaken version certainly exists and has its devotees, but then you are consciously drinking a colder, slightly more watery and frothy martini.
Wet, dry and bone dry explained
These terms all refer to the amount of vermouth. Wet means generous, approximately 4 cl gin to 2 cl vermouth, allowing the herbs and slight sweetness to play a clear role. Dry is the standard for this recipe, 6 cl to 1 cl. Bone dry or extra dry goes even further: simply rinse the glass with vermouth, or briefly hold the bottle beside it, as Churchill supposedly did. A perfect martini is something else again and uses equal parts dry and sweet vermouth. When ordering at a bar, it is worth asking for wet or dry.
Dry Martini, Vesper or Gibson
Three stirred gin classics that are easily confused. The Gibson is exactly the same as a Dry Martini, with a cocktail onion instead of an olive or zest; the onion adds a slight acidity and a savory aroma. The Vesper from Casino Royale uses 6 cl gin, 2 cl vodka, and 1 cl Lillet Blanc, is shaken, and is therefore colder and softer in its herbal character. The Dirty Martini gets a splash of liquid from the olive jar and becomes cloudy and salty. The framework always stays the same: plenty of gin, something aromatic, served ice-cold.
Which gin for a Dry Martini cocktail
The gin determines almost everything here, because there is nothing to hide behind. A classic London Dry with pronounced juniper gives the dry martini cocktail its backbone, while modern gins that lean mainly toward cucumber or flowers can fall flat after thirty seconds of stirring. Also consider the alcohol percentage: the legal minimum for gin is 37.5 percent, but at around 43 to 47 percent, more remains after dilution in the mixing glass. A bottle that comes ice-cold from the freezer also needs to be stirred for less time.
Martini Dry vermouth or Noilly Prat
When you search for Martini Dry vermouth, you usually mean the white, dry vermouth most commonly found in Dutch cupboards; on the label, it is called Extra Dry. A solid starting point, but not the only one. Noilly Prat from southern France is saltier and woodier, while Dolin Dry from Chambéry is lighter and more floral. If you want a dry martini that remains spicy, Dolin is a safe choice. Always taste the vermouth neat and chilled first: if it tastes sharp or musty, you will taste that just as strongly in the glass.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Dry Martini?
Gin and dry vermouth, in this recipe 6 cl gin to 1 cl vermouth, stirred with plenty of ice and garnished with a lemon zest or a green olive. That's all there is to it: the quality here lies entirely in the temperature, the ratio, and the pre-chilled glass.
What is the right gin-to-vermouth ratio?
Six parts gin to one part vermouth is the modern standard. If you want it wet, move toward 4:1; bone dry means little more than rinsing the glass with vermouth. Ask your guests about their preference, because that conversation is part of the ritual.
Should you shake or stir a Dry Martini?
Stir. Stirring for thirty seconds with plenty of ice makes it ice-cold and keeps the cocktail crystal clear, while shaking introduces bubbles and makes the drink cloudy and sharper. Only those who deliberately want a hazier, more vibrant-looking martini deviate from the classic method.
Which glass do you use for a Dry Martini?
The classic martini glass with a cone-shaped bowl, preferably 19 to 21 cl. The long stem keeps your warm hand away from the drink, while the wide opening lets the gin and citrus aromas breathe. Small and ice-cold is the guiding principle: see our martini glasses.
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