The martini is an alcoholic drink that is commonly served as a cocktail. The flavor of the drink has changed considerably over time, moving away from sweeter flavor to a much more dry taste, popular today. While a wide variety of martini-type drinks are now in vogue,with an ever increasing number of ingredients, the classic martini uses just four components: gin, vermouth, ice and olives.
Gin
Gin is the primary ingredient in the traditional martini. Gin is a strong alcoholic beverage, made of a neutral spirit that is flavored with herbs and spices, most notably, juniper berries. This imparts a distinctive, resinous flavor. Other flavorings include angelica, licorice, almond, lemon and coriander. The flavor of different gins varies, based on the maker's recipe.
Vermouth
Vermouth is aromatic wine that has been fortified, usually with brandy. Cinnamon, chamomile, nutmeg, thyme and quinine are common flavoring ingredients, although most vermouth makers guard their recipes very carefully. Dry white vermouth is used for martinis, usually in small amounts as a flavoring agent.
Ice
Ice is used in the process of making a martini, simply to cool the drink. The ice, gin and vermouth are combined in a cocktail shaker and mixed thoroughly. Then the mixture is poured off into a glass, leaving the ice behind in the shaker.
Olives
Pickled green olives, with or without pimento, are traditionally used as a garnish for the classic Martini. The olive is often speared with a toothpick to make it easier to remove from the drink and eaten. A pickled onion is sometimes used as a garnish, but technically that makes the drink a Gibson.
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