Classic Martini

I was raised in a martini household: Tanqueray on the rocks with a twist was the drink of choice for both of my parents. I have a very vivid memory of being around 15 years old, and desperately needing to quench my thirst, I reached for a glass of water -- I grabbed my mom's martini by mistake. I swigged that martini down in a huge gulp, and then I jumped to my feet horrified, spitting, and gasping. Welcome to the wonderful world of gin! It took me a little while to get over that early introduction, but somewhere along the way, gin has become my spirit of choice.

For a drink which has only two ingredients -- gin and vermouth -- it almost seems as though no two versions of the martini are alike. The amount of vermouth varies greatly with some recipes calling for merely a few drops of vermouth rolled about the glass and then poured out. We played with the proportions and found that this is the ratio we like best. Ours is a "wet" martini with a bit more vermouth than typical. We like the smoothness that the vermouth imparts.

Classic Martini

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth

Pour gin and vermouth into a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake well, and then strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with an olive or two, or with a twist of lemon.