# It's stirred NOT shaken damn it! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973 "2003-04-11T05:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/1 "2003-04-11T05:03:36Z")
So how do you people like your martinis? Mine I do with a drink glass, a shaker filled with ice, good gin and the minimum possible amount of vermouth. I fill the shaker with ice and then pour the gin in it. I stir the gin lightly until the shaker is beaded with condensation and then pour a little vermouth in the cocktail glass. I swill the glass until it’s covered with vermouth and then throw most of the excess out. Pour the diluted gin in the glass, add a speared olive and drink while it’s still cold. I use Tanqueray usually but I’ve been trying Gordon and Beefeater with good results. Also, does anybody know how to do a good dirty martini. Can you teach me? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/2 "2003-04-11T05:18:01Z")
I believe that a ‘dirty’ martini is simply made with some of the green olive brine. If I crave such a flavor, I just avoid rinsing off the olives before adding them to the glass. My personal favorite is the ‘Smokey Martini’[ul][li]Chill glass ahead of time[/li][li]Use ice that is so dry and cold it sticks to your flesh[/li][li]Pour one thimbleful of decent whisky into the glass[/li][li]Fill a chilled shaker with fresh ice[/li][li]Pour 2-3 jiggers of gin or vodka into the shaker[/li][li]Use preferred method of agitation[/li][li]Swirl and then remove whisky from chilled glass[/li][li]Strain Martini into glass[/li][li]Add, lemon peel or olive[/li][li]Consume with loud smacking of lips[/ul][/li]Rinse and repeat. If you wish to add vermouth, the best way is to pour a shot of it over the ice and drain it off before introducing the liquor. Every man has to believe in something and I believe I’ll make myself a Martini “Slip out of those wet clothes and into a dry Martini” [ul]THE THIN MAN[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/3 "2003-04-11T05:26:02Z")
Heretic! No martini is done with anything other than gin and vermouth. I’m talking about martinis here. You’re talking about martini look-alikes. Seriously now. Where I used to live the local bar made dirty martinis with some sort of chopped olives preparation that made the drink both tasty in a salty way and not salty in a nauseos way. What is the secret of this? My life is meaningless if I don’t learn how to make the ideal dirty martini. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/4 "2003-04-11T05:27:17Z")
Ah, what sort of interesting martini trivia/poetry/jokes/etc… do you know? ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/5 "2003-04-11T05:29:12Z")
Ogden Nash - A Drink With Something In It There is something about a Martini, A tingle remarkably pleasant; A yellow, a mellow Martini; I wish I had one at present. There is something about a Martini, Ere the dining and dancing begin, And to tell you the truth, It is not the vermouth– I think that perhaps it’s the gin. Here’s my submition. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/6 "2003-04-11T05:34:44Z")
If you’ll just stop posting to your own thread for a moment, I’ll direct you to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=171458) thread. I’m sure there’s one or two ‘dirty’ Martini variants buried in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/7 "2003-04-11T05:59:40Z")
Rinse the shaker with Vermouth, shake repeatedly until droplets stop forming. Add ice, 2oz. Bombay Sapphire, shake or stir as you like, pour into glass. Now comes the hard part. I hate the taste of brine in my Martini, but I love the taste of olives that have spent some time in the Martini. The ones that are stored in Vermouth add too much Vermouth. So far I’ve had good results with paper towel and squeezing for cleaning the olives prior to placing them in the drink. Your Milage Will Damned Near Always Vary. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/8 "2003-04-11T13:28:38Z")
I keep everything except the vermouth and olives in the freezer: the bottle of Bombay gin, the shaker and the glasses. You can’t get a martini too cold. I like vermouth in my martini - four parts gin to one part vermouth. [Here](http://slate.msn.com/id/3517) is an excellent article extolling the virtues of a wet martini. Oh - and why are martinis like breasts? Because one isn’t enough and three are too many. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/9 "2003-04-11T17:43:45Z")
2 shots Bombay Sapphire, 1/2 shot Martini Vermouth, stir with ice (because shaken gin tastes like lighter fluid, and I **will** send it back) strain into a cocktail glass, squeeze a lemon wedge overtop and drop it in. I’ll have one tonight. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/10 "2003-04-11T18:45:55Z")
**Barbarian** has just stated the recipe for the perfect Martini. It never fails to amaze me how many people drink gin slightly contaminated with vermouth residue and call it a Martini. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/11 "2003-04-11T19:21:26Z")
I cannot abide gin in any form, so I take mine with Vodka. As James Bond knew, vodka does not bruise like gin, so a Vodka martini should be shaken to insure it is ice cold. I like it with very little vermouth, maybe an 1/8 to 1/4 shot. toss in an olive(never a lemon), and mmmmmm… good times, good times. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/12 "2003-04-11T19:25:44Z")
Could someone please explain the “Martini Mystique” to me? Is it one of those “acquired taste” kind of things? And what’s the deal with adding _one drop_ of vermouth? If you want a shot of straight gin (for whatever perverted reason), have one! Why even bother with the homeopathic dose of vermouth? And why the olive? And what exactly _is_ vermouth? So many questions. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/13 "2003-04-12T00:37:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*Could someone please explain the “Martini Mystique” to me? Is it one of those “acquired taste” kind of things? And what’s the deal with adding _one drop_ of vermouth? If you want a shot of straight gin (for whatever perverted reason), have one! Why even bother with the homeopathic dose of vermouth? > > And why the olive? And what exactly _is_ vermouth? So many questions. \*\* Can’t answer all those(seriously how did the use of an olive start?), but I’ll give it a shot. Vermouth is a fortified(sometimes) white wine that has been infused with herbs. It’s not really ever used by itself, it’s designed to be mixed. Is it an acquired taste? I suppose so, though if you’ve acquired a taste for the liqour(either voddy or gin), there’s not much left to acquire. As far as the martini mystique, there is something psychological about it. Drinking one says that you want something strong, but not so vulgar as shots. It has a certain sophistication about it, which is, of course, totally manufactured, but exists nonetheless. also, James Bond didn’t hurt;) ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/14 "2003-04-12T01:09:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*Could someone please explain the “Martini Mystique” to me? Is it one of those “acquired taste” kind of things? And what’s the deal with adding _one drop_ of vermouth? If you want a shot of straight gin (for whatever perverted reason), have one! Why even bother with the homeopathic dose of vermouth? > > And why the olive? And what exactly _is_ vermouth? So many questions. \*\* Dissatisfied with the meager amount of vermouth? You may wish to try one of the more original recipes from the end of the nineteenth century. They called for **three** parts _red Italian vermouth_ to **one** part ‘Old Tom Gin’ which was a bizarre sweet Genever concoction totally unlike London dry gin. To be authentic, you’d also have to drink this with a Maraschino cherry and even add a few drops of Boker’s bitters. If you could slurp this down without hurling, I’d even mix you another one. Where and when an olive replaced the cherry remains lost to the ages. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/15 "2003-04-12T04:32:38Z")
In my family we call martinis “Loudmouth Soup.” The fooling around with the condiments is just fun, kinda like a smack addict with his kit. For the driest martini, you don’t pour any vermouth, you just yell “vermouth” into the glass. Or, Hawkeye Pierce stylee, you drink the vermouth-less martini while looking at a picture of Adolph Menjou. Now THAT"S a dry martini!😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/16 "2003-04-12T17:27:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MusicJunkie \* > \*\*Ah, what sort of interesting martini trivia/poetry/jokes/etc… do you know? \*\* A rather sozzled man is sitting at a bar with a string of empty Martini glasses lined up in front of him. In a slurred voice he orders yet another from the bartender. The bartender places a fresh Martini in front of him as the guy produces a small jar from his coat pocket. Carefully unscrewing the lid, he removes the new Martini’s olive from its toothpick, drops it into the jar and then reseals it. A new arrival seated next to him watches this whole procedure in amazement, then finally screws up his courage and asks; “Why are you doing that?” The lush replies; “My wife sent me out for a jar of olives and I’m not going home until it’s full!” ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/17 "2003-04-12T18:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Mook \* > \*\*For the driest martini, you don’t pour any vermouth, you just yell “vermouth” into the glass. \*\* I always tell the bartender to just wave an open vermouth bottle around near the glass. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/18 "2003-04-12T20:52:40Z")
One of my favorite exchanges from “West Wing” has to do with James Bond and Martinis. The president’s aide mentions a James Bond movie to the Pres and gets something like this in response: “That whole shaken, not stirred, thing is wrong, you know. The reason a Martini is stirred using a special spoon is to prevent the ice from chipping. This guy is just ordering a watered down gin and being snotty about it.” ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/19 "2003-04-13T17:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 5-HT \* > \*\*I cannot abide gin in any form, so I take mine with Vodka. \*\* That is not a Martini. That is a Kangaroo. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973/20 "2003-04-13T19:39:58Z")
If you would like to sample what gin originally tasted like, try _Dornkatt Genever_. In a distinctive oblong green bottle, it is a close approximation of the early recipes that gin descended from. As with most liquors and liqueurs, gin started life as a medicinal tonic. It was invented in the 14[sup]th[/sup] century as a prophylactic against the black plague. Once viewed _as_ a tonic, it is now instead _mixed_ with tonic. The term _genever_ (Dutch for juniper) also derives from the French word for juniper, _genievre_. Juniper berries contribute the principal flavor present in gin. Many other exotic flowers and rare ingredients add to the floral top notes present. Almonds, oris root plus other flowers and herbs are placed in baskets or hung on racks in the ‘swan’s neck’ of the retort or ‘pot.’ Vapors rising from the mash of barley, oats and wheat waft through these ‘botanicals’ and give the resulting distillation its distinctive flavor. Another interesting British gin is Boodles. Given 96 points out of 100 by the Beverage Testing Institute it remains rather true to the original nature of traditional _genever schnapps_. Many newer gins have purposefully diminished the intensity of the ‘botanicals’ in their recipes. While making the gin a bit smoother and less costly to manufacture, it also denudes the final product of its essential character. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-stirred-not-shaken-damn-it/167973.md?page=2)