🥃 Dry Martini
Classic IBA cocktail of gin and dry vermouth (60 and 10 ml), stirred with ice and served in a chilled glass with a twist of lemon zest or an olive.
Dry Martini is a classic cocktail of gin and dry vermouth, stirred with ice and served in a chilled martini glass. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists it in its “The Unforgettables” category. The garnish is lemon peel oil and, on request, a green olive.
Recipe. The IBA recipe is 60 ml gin and 10 ml dry vermouth, a ratio of 6 : 1. Both ingredients are stirred with a spoon in a mixing glass with ice and strained into a pre-chilled glass. Difford’s Guide gives a 5 : 1 ratio with London dry gin and a dash of orange bitters to taste as its preferred variant.
History. According to Difford’s Guide, the martini grew out of the Martinez cocktail, whose recipe appeared in a book by O. G. Byron in 1884. The first known recipe under the name “Martini” was published by Harry Johnson in 1888, with sweet Old Tom gin and red vermouth. In 1903 Tim Daly proposed a drier mix, and the name “Dry Martini Cocktail” first appears in 1904 in a French book by Frank Newman.
Dryness. The less vermouth, the drier the martini is considered. At the start of the 20th century it was made half and half or 2 : 1; later the share of vermouth kept shrinking. Orange bitters were customary until the 1940s. A version with vodka instead of gin is called a vodka martini.
Why this matters to you. A Dry Martini is almost pure strong alcohol: 60 ml of gin and only a little vermouth, with no juice or syrup. That is why it is served small and very cold. WHO reminds that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Raw material | gin 60 ml, dry vermouth 10 ml (IBA); lemon zest or olive |
|---|---|
| Year founded | Martinez — 1884; “Martini” — 1888; “Dry Martini Cocktail” — 1904 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Dry Martini → contains → 🫒 Olives ← related ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 Gin, 🍸 London gin, 🍷 Dry vermouth
- What it contains
- 🍷 Vermouth, 🫒 Olives
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Bartender
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Old Tom Gin, 🍸 Vodka, 🥃 Hanky Panky
Frequently asked questions
Is a Dry Martini shaken?
No. The IBA recipe stirs it with ice in a mixing glass; shaking makes it cloudier and dilutes it more.
What is the gin to vermouth ratio in a Dry Martini?
The IBA recipe uses 60 ml gin and 10 ml dry vermouth (6 : 1); Difford’s Guide suggests 5 : 1.
How is a Dry Martini garnished?
With lemon zest oil, squeezed over the glass; a green olive is added on the guest’s request.
Where does the word “dry” come from?
From dry vermouth and its small share: the first martinis of the 1880s were made with the sweeter Old Tom gin and red vermouth.
Can a martini be made with vodka?
Yes, this is a separate variant, the vodka martini; the classic IBA Dry Martini is made with gin.
What to read next
- 🫒 Olives — The fruit of the olive tree, pressed for oil or cured and eaten as table olives.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🍸 London gin — The EU's strictest distilled gin: aroma from distillation only, no colourings, up to 0.1 g/l of sugar, at least 37.5% vol.
- 🥃 Bartender — A bar worker who mixes and serves drinks behind the counter; Jerry Thomas described the profession in a 1862 book, and the IBA has united bartenders since 1951.
Similar
🥃 Clover Club · 🥃 Casino · 🥃 Aviation · 🥃 French 75 · 🥃 Hanky Panky · 🥃 Gin Basil Smash
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Dry Martini (The Unforgettables; 60 ml gin, 10 ml dry vermouth; stir in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass; lemon peel oil, green olive on request)
- Difford's Guide encyclopedia: Martini history — Martinez in O.H. Byron 1884; first 'Martini' recipe in Harry Johnson 1888 (old tom gin, red vermouth); Tim Daly 1903 (2/3 old tom gin, 1/3 dry vermouth); 'Dry Martini Cocktail' in Frank P. Newman's American-Bar 1904; Louis Muckensturm 1906 (dry gin, dry vermouth); orange bitters common until the 1940s
- Difford's Guide: Dry Martini 'Preferred' (5:1 ratio; London dry gin, dry vermouth, optional orange bitters; stir, chilled glass; olive or lemon twist)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)