Sweet Martini

Consider the Martini, a drink which spans more than 100 years. It is an elegant and sophisticated drink which has come to be such an icon of the cocktail, that what was once considered to be just a cocktail glass, has been essentially rechristened the "Martini" glass in it's honor. Today, the majority of Martini's being served use vodka as the base spirit. At least most people realize that gin is a viable option, even if they don't order it that way themselves.

Gin is one of those spirits that may people shy away from. When I encounter somebody that has a clear aversion to gin, I try to dig a little deeper and discover where this might come from. Sometimes it is due to a bad experience at some point in their past, or it is simply because they've tried a few gin based drinks and really didn't like them. At issue, is the fact that there are essentially only two gin based drinks that most folks know of: the gin Martini, and Gin & Tonic. Neither of these drinks is really appropriate as an introduction to gin. I always like to remind people that of all of the base spirits (brandy, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, vodka), gin is the only one which does not have a tradition of being sipped straight. So it isn't surprising that people might not like a cocktail that these days might be essentially just a glass of cold gin.

I'd like to suggest a very old alternative to anybody who doesn't think that they like gin.

We've already covered the dry Martini cocktail, and while the recipe presented is an excellent example of what this drink should really taste like, there is an older form of the Martini, which I like to use as way to gently introduce people to the wonders of gin.

Originally, the Martini was made with sweet vermouth instead of dry. The term "dry Martini" was used to request a Martini that was made with dry vermouth instead of sweet. The ratios back then were quite a bit different then is commonly found today, sometimes even to the point of using more vermouth than gin.

Sweet Martini

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry.

When properly made, the strong botanical flavors of the gin are gently hidden within the sweet herbal flavors of the vermouth. In my pictured example, I chose to use both the lemon twist and the cherry for the garnish, and as bit of a nod to the retro, used a metal sword pick to hold the garnish together. After all, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun!