# Dry Martini - more or less vermouth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904 "2000-02-07T21:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kevin5280](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kevin5280](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevin5280)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/1 "2000-02-08T06:29:00Z")
I hope someone can help settle this debate in our office. When you order a dry martini, does that mean more dry vermouth or less? A few say the drier they want it, the more you add; a few people say the opposite. * * * Kevin Howl your innocence! - Matt Groening ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/2 "2000-02-08T06:31:00Z")
Add more vermouth for a dry martini ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/3 "2000-02-08T06:31:00Z")
Less. Very dry means almost none. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/4 "2000-02-08T06:32:00Z")
Obviously I need to do more research. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/5 "2000-02-08T06:33:00Z")
well, OK–I’ll go searching. I could have sworn it was more… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/6 "2000-02-08T06:36:00Z")
Definitely LESS vermouth in a drier martini. The original martini recipes called for a ration of 3-1 or 4-1, gin to vermouth. As the drink got drier through the 1940s and 1950s, proportions of 10-1, 12-1, or even 20-1 became common. There have been many threads devoted to this topic…search them out if you want to read all the “Stand in the next room and whisper ‘vermouth’” jokes. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/7 "2000-02-08T06:36:00Z")
I guess I should double-check my facts before I run my yap. A drink recipe search shows me I was wrong. Less vermouth = dry. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/8 "2000-02-08T06:36:00Z")
A dry martini has less vermouth. I remember Hawkeye from M_A_S\*H asking for a dry martini by saying (paraphrased): “Pour the gin, then just show it a bottle of vermouth.” * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/9 "2000-02-08T06:39:00Z")
Well a little late but here, everything you ever wanted to know about Martinis, and then some: Martini (dry) 2 1/2 ounces gin 1/2 ounce dry vermouth Stir ingredients with cracked ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a lemon zest or an olive. If a black olive is used, the drink is called a Buckeye Martini; if an onion is used, it’s called a Gibson. A dry Martini with a dash to 1/4 ounce of scotch is a smoky Martini, and one with a splash of olive brine is a dirty Martini. Other traditional Martini recipes include the medium, the wet, and the sweet. A variation The Alchemist doesn’t recommend: Substitute vodka for gin. A variation he does recommend: the Martinez. Martini (wet) 1 1/5 ounces gin 1 1/5 ounces dry vermouth Stir ingredients with cracked ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a lemon zest or an olive. If a black olive is used, the drink is called a Buckeye Martini; if an onion is used, it’s called a Gibson. A dry Martini with a dash to 1/4 ounce of scotch is a smoky Martini, and one with a splash of olive brine is a dirty Martini. Other traditional Martini recipes include the dry, the medium, and the sweet. A variation The Alchemist doesn’t recommend: Substitute vodka for gin. A variation he does recommend: the Martinez. Martini (sweet) 2 1/4 ounces gin 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth Stir ingredients with cracked ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a lemon zest or an olive. If a black olive is used, the drink is called a Buckeye Martini; if an onion is used, it’s called a Gibson. A dry Martini with a dash to 1/4 ounce of scotch is a smoky Martini, and one with a splash of olive brine is a dirty Martini. Other traditional Martini recipes include the dry, the medium, and the wet. A variation The Alchemist doesn’t recommend: Substitute vodka for gin. A variation he does recommend: the Martinez. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/10 "2000-02-07T21:16:00Z")
Clearly, the title of this thread should have been “Dry martini – more or less gin” \---------------- rocks\ ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/11 "2000-02-07T21:25:00Z")
## When I was bartending (4 years) a dry martini went like this: swish one or two drops of vermouth in the glass and empty it out, add gin (or vodka, depending.) A _very_ dry martini was like this: hold one bottle of vermouth, introduce it to the glass, put it away. Add booze. Viola! 😉 I struggle every day to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/12 "2000-02-07T22:25:00Z")
## As I remember the MASH joke, you pour a glass of gin and show it a picture of the guy who invented Vermouth. Another gag defines “teutonic” as “not enough gin.” AskNott ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/13 "2000-02-07T23:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > hold one bottle of vermouth, introduce it to the glass, put it away. Add booze. Viola! And why were you fiddling around behind the bar? ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/14 "2000-02-07T23:44:00Z")
Why not just order a straight gin or vodka and put an olive in it? It it because you like the fancy glass? ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/15 "2000-02-08T00:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by tomndebb: > And why were you fiddling around behind the bar? Mmmmmm… because I was bartending as a job at that bar at the time? BTW it seems to be important to dry martini drinkers to watch how much Vermouth you add, and if you do it properly. Almost a ceremony in it for them, sheesh. 😉 * * * I struggle every day to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/16 "2000-02-08T01:48:00Z")
JCorre, I’ve often thought the same thing myself. ---
**Author:** ![Jo3sh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jo3sh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jo3sh)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dry-martini-more-or-less-vermouth/6904/17 "2000-02-08T02:30:00Z")
I tend to make my Gibsons like this: Take the glass and the bottle of gin out of the freezer. Also the bottle of cocktail onions out of the fridge. Pour the gin into the glass. Skewer a coupla the onions, and use them to stir the gin. Sip. ## I’ve never even owned a bottle of vermouth. A committee is a lifeform with six or more legs and no brain.