Despite what Bond himself says, make your Gin Martini cocktail stirred.

This classic gin cocktail is about as simple as you can get, and yet fully customizable to suit your tastes.

The main ingredients of gin, vermouth, and a garnish allow you to fully savor the flavors of gin without getting lost in taste smothering ingredients. I guess you could say this is a drink for the purists out there.

Three olive Gin Martini with some extra brine for that dirty flavor. Oh my.

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The Gin Martini

The classic gin cocktail, the Gin Martini, uses only gin and vermouth to make this potent punch of a cocktail. Dress it up with different vermouth styles, or add your own special garnish instead of the traditional olives.

Ingredients

2 1/2 Oz. Gin
1/2 Oz. Dry Vermouth
1 or 3 Olives
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Instructions

Start with a chilled glass, a martini glass if you have one. But really.
Combine your gin and vermouth, and perhaps your bitters, in a stirring container with ice.
Stir for about 30 seconds or so.
Strain into your freshly chilled martini glass.
Garnish with an odd number of olives or a lemon twist.

Oenophilia Martini Atomizer with Funnel – Aluminum Alcohol Spray Bottle, Atomizer Sprayer, Vermouth, Martini Mister, For Cocktails, Absinthe (Kitchen)

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Filthy Cocktail Garnish, Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, 8.5 Oz Jar, 14 Olives (Grocery)

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Mikasa Cheers Martini Glass, 10-Ounce, Set of 4 (Kitchen)

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Cocktail Picks Reusable Stainless Steel Martini Picks Set Fruit Stick Toothpicks, Drink Skewers Fruit Garnish Swizzle Sticks for Olive Skewers, Cocktails, and Bloody Mary Set of 12 (Home)

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About that vermouth…..

Vermouth is actually a wine product that has added botanicals, aromatics, and flavors. Sweet and dry are the common varieties you will find. Most cocktails call for just a touch of vermouth, so a bottle will typically last you quite a long time.

Store your vermouth in the fridge after opening for best results. While this seems strange, it will help the vermouth last longer, and help keep your gin cocktails nice and icy.

Martini cocktails are often dry – which refers to the style of vermouth added. Logical. But how much should you add? You can go full-on with 1/2 oz, or you can add a splash, or even a spray. Many find misters can deliver a fine haze of vermouth to your glass before your gin is added for the mere hint of flavor.

These delicate little sprayers are handy to deliver just a hint of vermouth to your Gin Martini.

By no means is this the only way to make a Gin Martini. You can absolutely create a martini to your liking, and many times that starts with the vermouth.

If the dryness is something you don’t care for, you can use a 50/50 mix of sweet vermouth and dry vermouth to your Gin Martini.

If you want even less vermouth flavor, you can stir your Gin Martini in two steps.

Add a bit of vermouth to some ice in your stirring glass, and swirl around for a minute or so.
Pour off the vermouth, leave the ice in your stirring glass.
Add your gin and stir with the remains of the icy vermouth.
Strain your gin and barely iced vermouth into your Martini glass.

Make the Gin Martini your own with some variations.

A bone dry Gin Martini is simply gin and a garnish. Or gin with no garnish. And don’t you dare call it a shot, that’s for lesser spirits.

Wondering what a dirty Gin Martini is?

Toss in some olive brine and find out. The salty tart of brine adds a bit of dimension to your gin cocktail. And flavor. And texture.

You can also ditch the olives for pickled cocktail onions, which gives you a Gibson. Which is also delicious and potent.