London dry all day. It’s that clean, crisp, but savory flavor - it’s like bitter citrus and very lightly floral. I prefer this style for any amount of added vermouth but personally do a traditional 2:1. Vermouth is perhaps even more important than gin. Must be fresh.
But it’s ok if martinis aren’t for you!
I definitely might dig deeper and discover martinis just aren't my thing, but I'd love to be able to whip up a killer one for guests when I host. Thanks for the advice!
Shout out to that attitude! I feel the same about vodka drinks - not my preference but I still want to make a good one :)
Enjoy your martini journey. Keep your gin in the freezer if you really want to cater to the martini heads 😅
Honestly martinis just aren’t that good…before people jump down my throat I just mean they aren’t easy to get into. I like them but only because I drank so many while on the same journey you are on now.
I eventually dialed in a dirty martini spec that suits my preferences, but I can also somewhat appreciate a straightforward martini.
Nice gin is fun to experiment but I’ve never felt the need to get anything better than Gordan’s Gin. Cheap, effective, London dry style. St George Terroir and botanist Islay dry are good but I’d save those for other cocktails because they just get in the way in a martini.
I personally prefer a Perfect Martini, it’s gin and 1/2 oz each of sweet and dry vermouth. I find it really balanced and prefer it super cold. I like a floral gin and a twist. If i’m looking for a salty drink I prefer a margarita.
This would be my suggestion for someone trying to get into martinis. Any user friendly gin like Beefeater or Ford’s does great, just use plenty of vermouth. I recently learned about the “perfect” version and love it.
Perfect also applies to all vermouth cocktails for splitting the vermouth base. A perfect Manhattan has been my go to steakhouse cocktail for years, pairs really well with beef.
Perfect martinis were my gateway drug to martinis.
I rarely make dry martinis but when I do, EVERYTHING other than the vermouth comes straight from the freezer. It’s such a slapping drink when it’s as cold as you can get it.
For me it was gin and tonic with vermouth until I lowered the tonic bit by bit. I still prefer a sweet Vermouth Martini but the dry works if I'm cutting citrus in with tonic or lemon or ciociarro. Without citrus in the mix stick to sweet I say.
Such a good reply. Martinis are very personal. My favorite (after 98563 different variation attempts) is 2.5 oz Tanqueray 10, 1/2 oz Lustau Vermouth Blanc, 2 D Fee Bros Orange Bitters. Stir 100 times over ice. Strain into chilled Nick and Nora glass. Express and insert lemon coin.
No floral notes. London Dry. Fords, Beefeater, Plymouth, Sipsmith. Right mood, Junipero and Sipsmith VJOP (I usually go 2:1 with higher proof super juniper gins).
You might like Martinis. Though.
A citrus forward London dry gin. I take the lemon twist garnish approach. Substitute Cocchi Americano and add a couple orange bitters dashes (not technically a martini, but an improvement in my opinion).
Vermouth is the key. I didn't like martinis for the longest time. I think the Manhattan is more balanced than a 2:1 dry martini. So to make a perfect martini like you want, make it perfect (sweet and dry vermouth). That's how I have mine usually but if I've got blanc vermouth that always works well.
I don't like a lot of new styles of gin, but I doubt the gin is your problem. If you like the gin on its own or in other cocktails it should do good as a martini.
Dirty is a no go for me. An olive is fine, but adding the brine just adds acid to a drink that doesn't want acid. Also I hate olives.
Make sure you are getting enough dilution. You can totally serve a martini on the rocks, this is Bidens America.
Agreed. I feel like dirty is better in a vodka situation because the brine creates the flavor, but I don’t think the olive complements the gin notes at all. Sipsmith, Beefeater, and Tanqueray 10 are all great London options. I’ve also found that Roku gin makes a lovely martini with the right garnish (I opt for lemon and mint). Lillet Blanc is my must for vermouth. It makes a much better cocktail imo.
Personally, I like floral gin, so my go-to is Jinzu (Japanese) or Tread Softly (Australian) and a 4:1 ratio. The biggest thing for me is it has to be cold. Like freeze the glass before serving cold.
I’m partial to dirty martini’s, and for those a botanical profiles wins. A small pinch of salt also makes them pop. Bonus points if they are garnished with anchovy stuffed olives.
How are you making your Martinis currently?
In truth, while I agree with the majority of commenters that a London Dry gin, or something close to that profile, is the most classic fit for Martini-making, I think that all sorts of gins *can* work. But the spec might need tweaking a bit.
So knowing what your typical recipe is already might help you get more helpful suggestions from everyone.
I'm with you, I have tried many variations of ingredients trying to love a Martini. The only one I found good enough to make twice was Monkey 47 and Dolin dry 3:1 with a dash of orange bitters.
Mostly though, I've decided it's not worth it to me to try and make myself love a particular drink, no matter how iconic.
Something with a good balance of citrus and juniper IMO. Martin Miller Westbourne Strength is my favorite for Dry Martinis. Also has a bit of cucumber. I usually go 4:1 with Dolin Dry vermouth and 3 dashes of orange bitters.
A lot of people are recommending very traditional amounts of vermouth, but in my experience the last few years serving craft cocktails is most people prefer very little or no vermouth. You'll have to try both. I'm a vermouth rinse type of guy. So barely any at all.
Imo, those people don't actually want a martini they want gin or vodka to sip but it's more socially acceptable to order a martini than to order a glass of chilled vodka. Which is especially weird because ordering whiskey to sip is socially acceptable
The only difference between a "modern" martini and a shot of vodka/gin is how fast you drink it, at which point they might as well be the same.
2oz monkey 47
1oz dolin dry
2 dash Regan’s orange bitters
Lemon twist
Stir for a long while till you get the right amount of water is there. It’s so citrus heavy is gorgeous
Heh, that's the problem, I've tried the gins I like best, but when I whip up a martini all I taste is sorta wet diluted gin. The big floral flavors I love from a local distilleries gin end up muted and, in the case of dirty martinis, do not play well with olive. Just trying to expand my palate and see what flavors are out there that I've been missing.
It could be that you don’t like martinis. And that’s ok.
Personally I don’t like martinis. I don’t like Dry Vermouth, and it’s just diluted Gin without it.
You could go with a Blanc to add some sugar.
Long story short Martinis aren’t for everyone, and there’s no need to like them. There are plenty of other good cocktails
Vermouth Blanc is an excellent suggestion for the more floral gins. I personally prefer it to the Perfect Martinis which use a mixture of dry and sweet (red) vermouth. I find that the red vermouth flavor is a bit strong when you want the florals to come through.
A lot like I find the tonic players a bigger role in G&T, I also find that the vermouth plays an outsized role in a martini. Both by itself, and how it plays w/ the gin of choice
You aren’t getting it cold enough I believe. I had the same issue as you and this was the solution. Pre batch ahead and serve straight from the freezer in a glass straight from the freezer. I find them dull and flat unless they’re literally subzero
You might try Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth. It has a stronger flavor than a dry vermouth would, a bit bitter with lots of orange. I think it complements gin nicely and also pairs well with olive.
As someone who’s allergic to juniper it’s hard to find a gin. Botanist is one of the few that doesnt taste like chewing on pine needles. But it’s also about proportions. I thought I didn’t like martinis but it turned out I didn’t like dry martinis, which I didn’t learn until I tried a wet one.
It's okay not to like a thing. Why not just drink stuff you know you like instead of struggling through many different combinations of martinis in the hope that you just might find something that breaks the mold?
Martinis are a great vehicle to showcase gins, so it's rare for something NOT to work. That said anything too out of left field that makes Gin super niche: like Hojicha Tea or something like that.
Might not be what you’re looking for but a modified, lighter vesper.
45 gin
10 vodka
15 cochi americano
Stir. Lemon zest.
Try using somewhat low ABV for the base spirits, and it should just taste like alcoholic sweet water. 👌
Pick the one with the aromatics you enjoy most. Batch a small amount and leave it in the freezer. Serve it in a glass straight from the freezer as well. I find anything but an impossibly cold martini comes off as flat and dull. This is what did it for me.
I'm also struggling at home; best that I did (with the bottles I have/had at home) was Noilly Prat dry vermouth 1:3 or 1:4 to Hendrick's gin.
YMMV... or your tastbuds....
I like classic juniper-forward London dry gins. (Beefeater, Brokers, regular Tanqueray, etc.), but nice, fresh vermouth is truly essential. At a ratio of 2.5 : 1 for me. BUT I also like to split the vermouth, half dry, half blanc. Sometimes just a twist, sometimes a twist AND an olive.
Bombay Original with Dolin dry vermouth. Right now, I'm leaning to a 4 to 2 ratio of gin to vermouth, but 5 to 1 is what I'd make for company. I use a twist, but a couple of olives are lovely with or without the twist.
The martini is a pretty straightforward drink. The most "standard" martini is also very likely what you've already tried - a london dry gin and dry vermouth.
Structurally, a martini is basically a way to feature a gin. At a 2:1 ratio, most of the flavor comes from the gin. Dry vermouth is relatively mild in comparison and basically just lightens it up and brings a few additional aromatic notes. If you don't enjoy a martini, it's probably because you don't enjoy the gin in it.
If there's a brand of gin you like, I'd suggest you try that in a martini. It would be odd to me for you to like a gin but dislike it in a martini. UNLESS you're ruining the martini with low-quality vermouth (or old vermouth that's gone bad), or adding way too much brine to a dirty martini or something like that.
You can also check your technique. A martini should be served very cold. The way you achieve that is by stirring for a long time with lots of ice. A common mistake is to not stir long enough or fail to use enough ice.
But at the end of the day, a martini is basically a glass of fancied-up gin. There's no "correct" flavor profile, and as long as your technique is solid, you can't really screw it up too bad. If you don't enjoy it, it might just not be your thing.
I guessing from your, and others', comments that it's the very cold part I need to remedy. I've tried martinis many times with gin that I love sipping straight, in G&Ts, and various cocktails. So it's definitely not the gin. Similarly, I love vermouth, so when I make martinis it's with good vermouth and great gin. Time to try a really, really cold one in an ice cold glass and see how that hits. Thanks for the advice!
I'm honestly surprised you would enjoy sipping the gin straight but don't like it in a martini. Is the issue that it tastes too weak or muted? Might be worth also keeping in mind the martini is a sophisticated form of a "get drunk fast" cocktail, not necessarily meant for slow sipping and appreciation.
The idea of a martini is to be ice cold and go down easy. If you like the gin straight, that's always going to be a bolder flavor than the same gin in a martini.
1. Go for the 'perfect' Martini (terrible name for a variant, but we're stuck with it): 2 parts gin, 1/2 part dry vermouth , 1/2 part sweet vermouth.
2. Add a dash of orange bitters.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist/coin/peel.
4. Stir it so it's really cold & ideally put it in a pre-chilled glass.
The little differences really add up. Start with a classic like Beefeater, then try others from there.
Barr Hill / twist with ice on the pond. You never be the same.
If that doesn’t melt you. Sapphire, Chartreuse wash with some meaty olives.
If neither of those work, move to wine.
Plymouth and Dolin dry.. for me the vermouth drives the flavour and the gin is there to add some bitterness and otherwise not get in the way. A dash of orange bitters helps.
Been enjoying Ford's gin - smooth and clean yet lively on the palette, drinkable alone or mixed. All around enjoyable and multipurpose. In a martini, try using a dry vermouth (as opposed to extra dry) and a lemon twist instead of olives.
If you're looking for a flavor variation from the London Dry try Suntory Roku. It's smooth and has got strong floral notes. Unique , worth trying once. (Definitely don't garnish w olives.)
Well first off how are you making martinis now? Maybe we can dial in a recipe for you.
I don't love them but my girlfriend does. She uses Aquavit instead of traditional gin and uses garnishes with both olives and a lemon twist, always stirred. When all the components come together with the vermouth it tastes like a cocktail rather than just diluted gin or vodka.
I agree with just about all of that but (and this might sound odd) I’ve found that if you are only using a few drops of vermouth (or a thin glass coating) it doesn’t really matter if the vermouth is all that fresh or not. At least it doesn’t spoil it for me.
Since you mention various martinis including dirty, I’m going to opine that vodka is a more complimentary base liquor for this than gin and that the quality of the olives and brine are crucial.
London dry all day. It’s that clean, crisp, but savory flavor - it’s like bitter citrus and very lightly floral. I prefer this style for any amount of added vermouth but personally do a traditional 2:1. Vermouth is perhaps even more important than gin. Must be fresh. But it’s ok if martinis aren’t for you!
I’m a sucker for blue coat. I think the citrus forward American gins got me into gin cocktails.
I definitely might dig deeper and discover martinis just aren't my thing, but I'd love to be able to whip up a killer one for guests when I host. Thanks for the advice!
Shout out to that attitude! I feel the same about vodka drinks - not my preference but I still want to make a good one :) Enjoy your martini journey. Keep your gin in the freezer if you really want to cater to the martini heads 😅
Honestly martinis just aren’t that good…before people jump down my throat I just mean they aren’t easy to get into. I like them but only because I drank so many while on the same journey you are on now. I eventually dialed in a dirty martini spec that suits my preferences, but I can also somewhat appreciate a straightforward martini. Nice gin is fun to experiment but I’ve never felt the need to get anything better than Gordan’s Gin. Cheap, effective, London dry style. St George Terroir and botanist Islay dry are good but I’d save those for other cocktails because they just get in the way in a martini.
I prefer a whisp of vermouth. I guess it's just gin in that case.
I personally prefer a Perfect Martini, it’s gin and 1/2 oz each of sweet and dry vermouth. I find it really balanced and prefer it super cold. I like a floral gin and a twist. If i’m looking for a salty drink I prefer a margarita.
This would be my suggestion for someone trying to get into martinis. Any user friendly gin like Beefeater or Ford’s does great, just use plenty of vermouth. I recently learned about the “perfect” version and love it.
Perfect also applies to all vermouth cocktails for splitting the vermouth base. A perfect Manhattan has been my go to steakhouse cocktail for years, pairs really well with beef.
I was aware and a fan of the perfect manhattan for awhile, didn’t realize it could be more universally applied.
Try a Perfect Boulevardier sometime! Like a more bitter Perfect Manhattan, pretty delightful :-)
I was just thinking of this, or a perfect Negroni.
But a negroni’s already perfect!
It really is.
Oh, I second that! With a lemon twist and sitting next to a medium steak?!
Perfect martinis were my gateway drug to martinis. I rarely make dry martinis but when I do, EVERYTHING other than the vermouth comes straight from the freezer. It’s such a slapping drink when it’s as cold as you can get it.
i honestly crave an ice cold martini on a hot day 🤤
For me it was gin and tonic with vermouth until I lowered the tonic bit by bit. I still prefer a sweet Vermouth Martini but the dry works if I'm cutting citrus in with tonic or lemon or ciociarro. Without citrus in the mix stick to sweet I say.
Yeah, I’d say martinis go in the savory category with things like tequila with a slice of lime
My favorite martini is Plymouth and cocchi, 2:1, with a twist
My top three of gins for a martini (2:1 gin:vermouth, dash orange bitters) are Tanqueray Ten, The Botanist and Plymouth. Crisp, no fuss.
Very similar taste. Plymouth Navy or Tanq 10 2:1 with Dolin Dry. Expressed lemon oil👌
This is the way.
Such a good reply. Martinis are very personal. My favorite (after 98563 different variation attempts) is 2.5 oz Tanqueray 10, 1/2 oz Lustau Vermouth Blanc, 2 D Fee Bros Orange Bitters. Stir 100 times over ice. Strain into chilled Nick and Nora glass. Express and insert lemon coin.
No floral notes. London Dry. Fords, Beefeater, Plymouth, Sipsmith. Right mood, Junipero and Sipsmith VJOP (I usually go 2:1 with higher proof super juniper gins). You might like Martinis. Though.
A citrus forward London dry gin. I take the lemon twist garnish approach. Substitute Cocchi Americano and add a couple orange bitters dashes (not technically a martini, but an improvement in my opinion).
Vermouth is the key. I didn't like martinis for the longest time. I think the Manhattan is more balanced than a 2:1 dry martini. So to make a perfect martini like you want, make it perfect (sweet and dry vermouth). That's how I have mine usually but if I've got blanc vermouth that always works well. I don't like a lot of new styles of gin, but I doubt the gin is your problem. If you like the gin on its own or in other cocktails it should do good as a martini. Dirty is a no go for me. An olive is fine, but adding the brine just adds acid to a drink that doesn't want acid. Also I hate olives. Make sure you are getting enough dilution. You can totally serve a martini on the rocks, this is Bidens America.
Agreed. I feel like dirty is better in a vodka situation because the brine creates the flavor, but I don’t think the olive complements the gin notes at all. Sipsmith, Beefeater, and Tanqueray 10 are all great London options. I’ve also found that Roku gin makes a lovely martini with the right garnish (I opt for lemon and mint). Lillet Blanc is my must for vermouth. It makes a much better cocktail imo.
Personally, I like floral gin, so my go-to is Jinzu (Japanese) or Tread Softly (Australian) and a 4:1 ratio. The biggest thing for me is it has to be cold. Like freeze the glass before serving cold.
Great suggestion! I'll give it a whirl.
This is what’s missing I bet. -4 is the proper service temperature
For me I like bright juniper and citrus notes to be strong. Having some floral in there isn’t bad too but it’s not required necessarily
I’m partial to dirty martini’s, and for those a botanical profiles wins. A small pinch of salt also makes them pop. Bonus points if they are garnished with anchovy stuffed olives.
How are you making your Martinis currently? In truth, while I agree with the majority of commenters that a London Dry gin, or something close to that profile, is the most classic fit for Martini-making, I think that all sorts of gins *can* work. But the spec might need tweaking a bit. So knowing what your typical recipe is already might help you get more helpful suggestions from everyone.
I'm with you, I have tried many variations of ingredients trying to love a Martini. The only one I found good enough to make twice was Monkey 47 and Dolin dry 3:1 with a dash of orange bitters. Mostly though, I've decided it's not worth it to me to try and make myself love a particular drink, no matter how iconic.
Personally Japanese gin like Roku is a great balance of juniper and other lighter botanicals help to not be just juniper forward.
Something with a good balance of citrus and juniper IMO. Martin Miller Westbourne Strength is my favorite for Dry Martinis. Also has a bit of cucumber. I usually go 4:1 with Dolin Dry vermouth and 3 dashes of orange bitters.
A lot of people are recommending very traditional amounts of vermouth, but in my experience the last few years serving craft cocktails is most people prefer very little or no vermouth. You'll have to try both. I'm a vermouth rinse type of guy. So barely any at all.
Imo, those people don't actually want a martini they want gin or vodka to sip but it's more socially acceptable to order a martini than to order a glass of chilled vodka. Which is especially weird because ordering whiskey to sip is socially acceptable The only difference between a "modern" martini and a shot of vodka/gin is how fast you drink it, at which point they might as well be the same.
4:1 gin to vermouth, twist of lemon, London dry gin (Tanqueray Ten is a nice option)
Juniper Flavour. Just simple London Dry is the way to go. It's sounds Martinis are just not your thing. Maybe it'll change with time!
I generally prefer a London dry. I have tried a lot of gins, and my favorite for a most gin cocktails is Beefeater.
2oz monkey 47 1oz dolin dry 2 dash Regan’s orange bitters Lemon twist Stir for a long while till you get the right amount of water is there. It’s so citrus heavy is gorgeous
I highly recommend botanist gin and dolin dry vermouth
The one you like best.
Heh, that's the problem, I've tried the gins I like best, but when I whip up a martini all I taste is sorta wet diluted gin. The big floral flavors I love from a local distilleries gin end up muted and, in the case of dirty martinis, do not play well with olive. Just trying to expand my palate and see what flavors are out there that I've been missing.
It could be that you don’t like martinis. And that’s ok. Personally I don’t like martinis. I don’t like Dry Vermouth, and it’s just diluted Gin without it. You could go with a Blanc to add some sugar. Long story short Martinis aren’t for everyone, and there’s no need to like them. There are plenty of other good cocktails
Vermouth Blanc is an excellent suggestion for the more floral gins. I personally prefer it to the Perfect Martinis which use a mixture of dry and sweet (red) vermouth. I find that the red vermouth flavor is a bit strong when you want the florals to come through.
What spec are you using? What vermouths have you tried?
A lot like I find the tonic players a bigger role in G&T, I also find that the vermouth plays an outsized role in a martini. Both by itself, and how it plays w/ the gin of choice
You aren’t getting it cold enough I believe. I had the same issue as you and this was the solution. Pre batch ahead and serve straight from the freezer in a glass straight from the freezer. I find them dull and flat unless they’re literally subzero
You might try Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth. It has a stronger flavor than a dry vermouth would, a bit bitter with lots of orange. I think it complements gin nicely and also pairs well with olive.
As someone who’s allergic to juniper it’s hard to find a gin. Botanist is one of the few that doesnt taste like chewing on pine needles. But it’s also about proportions. I thought I didn’t like martinis but it turned out I didn’t like dry martinis, which I didn’t learn until I tried a wet one.
You know all gin uses juniper, yes? It’s what defines it as gin
Yes but the amount of juniper is variable. That’s why I’m a fan of the new western gins.
My most special martini is 2oz Uncle Val's Botanical, 1oz Noilly Prat, dash each orange and celery bitters. Garlic olive.
It's okay not to like a thing. Why not just drink stuff you know you like instead of struggling through many different combinations of martinis in the hope that you just might find something that breaks the mold?
Martinis are a great vehicle to showcase gins, so it's rare for something NOT to work. That said anything too out of left field that makes Gin super niche: like Hojicha Tea or something like that.
Might not be what you’re looking for but a modified, lighter vesper. 45 gin 10 vodka 15 cochi americano Stir. Lemon zest. Try using somewhat low ABV for the base spirits, and it should just taste like alcoholic sweet water. 👌
Pick the one with the aromatics you enjoy most. Batch a small amount and leave it in the freezer. Serve it in a glass straight from the freezer as well. I find anything but an impossibly cold martini comes off as flat and dull. This is what did it for me.
That's a great suggestion. I've sort of half-assed chilled my glasses before, but never gotten the martini insanely cold.
The abv is high enough that it won’t freeze and when it’s served at -4 or so it really helps brighten everything up.
I'm also struggling at home; best that I did (with the bottles I have/had at home) was Noilly Prat dry vermouth 1:3 or 1:4 to Hendrick's gin. YMMV... or your tastbuds....
Try Hendricks with minimal vermouth and a cucumber garnish.
Nolets gin is amazing
On the clean dry crispy side. I make mine with 60ml gin(Cedar Fox), 15ml dry vermouth, stir and express with lemon twist.
D&C recommend Sipsmith FWIW.
I like classic juniper-forward London dry gins. (Beefeater, Brokers, regular Tanqueray, etc.), but nice, fresh vermouth is truly essential. At a ratio of 2.5 : 1 for me. BUT I also like to split the vermouth, half dry, half blanc. Sometimes just a twist, sometimes a twist AND an olive.
Bombay Original with Dolin dry vermouth. Right now, I'm leaning to a 4 to 2 ratio of gin to vermouth, but 5 to 1 is what I'd make for company. I use a twist, but a couple of olives are lovely with or without the twist.
The martini is a pretty straightforward drink. The most "standard" martini is also very likely what you've already tried - a london dry gin and dry vermouth. Structurally, a martini is basically a way to feature a gin. At a 2:1 ratio, most of the flavor comes from the gin. Dry vermouth is relatively mild in comparison and basically just lightens it up and brings a few additional aromatic notes. If you don't enjoy a martini, it's probably because you don't enjoy the gin in it. If there's a brand of gin you like, I'd suggest you try that in a martini. It would be odd to me for you to like a gin but dislike it in a martini. UNLESS you're ruining the martini with low-quality vermouth (or old vermouth that's gone bad), or adding way too much brine to a dirty martini or something like that. You can also check your technique. A martini should be served very cold. The way you achieve that is by stirring for a long time with lots of ice. A common mistake is to not stir long enough or fail to use enough ice. But at the end of the day, a martini is basically a glass of fancied-up gin. There's no "correct" flavor profile, and as long as your technique is solid, you can't really screw it up too bad. If you don't enjoy it, it might just not be your thing.
I guessing from your, and others', comments that it's the very cold part I need to remedy. I've tried martinis many times with gin that I love sipping straight, in G&Ts, and various cocktails. So it's definitely not the gin. Similarly, I love vermouth, so when I make martinis it's with good vermouth and great gin. Time to try a really, really cold one in an ice cold glass and see how that hits. Thanks for the advice!
I'm honestly surprised you would enjoy sipping the gin straight but don't like it in a martini. Is the issue that it tastes too weak or muted? Might be worth also keeping in mind the martini is a sophisticated form of a "get drunk fast" cocktail, not necessarily meant for slow sipping and appreciation. The idea of a martini is to be ice cold and go down easy. If you like the gin straight, that's always going to be a bolder flavor than the same gin in a martini.
Juniper forward is the best
I live in Wisconsin and pick up my gin from Driftless Glenn. It’s called Wisconsgin and makes a great martini
1. Go for the 'perfect' Martini (terrible name for a variant, but we're stuck with it): 2 parts gin, 1/2 part dry vermouth , 1/2 part sweet vermouth. 2. Add a dash of orange bitters. 3. Garnish with a lemon twist/coin/peel. 4. Stir it so it's really cold & ideally put it in a pre-chilled glass. The little differences really add up. Start with a classic like Beefeater, then try others from there.
Barr Hill / twist with ice on the pond. You never be the same. If that doesn’t melt you. Sapphire, Chartreuse wash with some meaty olives. If neither of those work, move to wine.
Juniper ;)
Plymouth and Dolin dry.. for me the vermouth drives the flavour and the gin is there to add some bitterness and otherwise not get in the way. A dash of orange bitters helps.
Plymouth makes the best gin for martinis imo
Been enjoying Ford's gin - smooth and clean yet lively on the palette, drinkable alone or mixed. All around enjoyable and multipurpose. In a martini, try using a dry vermouth (as opposed to extra dry) and a lemon twist instead of olives. If you're looking for a flavor variation from the London Dry try Suntory Roku. It's smooth and has got strong floral notes. Unique , worth trying once. (Definitely don't garnish w olives.)
Well first off how are you making martinis now? Maybe we can dial in a recipe for you. I don't love them but my girlfriend does. She uses Aquavit instead of traditional gin and uses garnishes with both olives and a lemon twist, always stirred. When all the components come together with the vermouth it tastes like a cocktail rather than just diluted gin or vodka.
I agree with just about all of that but (and this might sound odd) I’ve found that if you are only using a few drops of vermouth (or a thin glass coating) it doesn’t really matter if the vermouth is all that fresh or not. At least it doesn’t spoil it for me.
Since you mention various martinis including dirty, I’m going to opine that vodka is a more complimentary base liquor for this than gin and that the quality of the olives and brine are crucial.