The boy and his poison: The Gin Martini

I am a man. Granted not always a reliable one, but the one you never mind having around. Admittedly I may turn up to the party three hours late with a slightly gin-glazed, blithe expression, but I'll notice you're wearing new shoes and you've changed lip gloss. Not only that but I'll buy everyone drinks and I'll charm all your best friends until you reluctantly forgive me.

When the subject of being a booze correspondent for Domestic Sluttery came up I'm sure part of me should perhaps have questioned whether a few anatomical points may have presented an obstacle to joining in the fun. Oddly though, all I heard in my head was a small voice chanting 'license for fun', this is like writing for Esquire with a better audience.

So, a brief bit about Nick (that's me, by the way): He loves gin, he's put a ring on it and made it his own. He's not just about nursing cocktail recipes at home though, so he’s going to take this opportunity to introduce you to both where and what is great to drink right now. However all journeys have to begin somewhere, and whilst its been mentioned here before. We really can’t really start anywhere other than the classic martini.

The martini.

Gin or vodka, dry or wet, sweet, perfect or dirty, gibson, twist or olive? When you find a good bar, ordering it should make you feel like the bartender is tending to every nuance of your taste. Its widely accepted that it developed from the sweeter Martinez but for a drink that harks back to the 1800s it certainly doesn’t show its age. There’s also a lovely irony in its rise to prominence… you have the prohibition to blame. With bathtub gin being so easy to make during those dark times it shot to fame, and when the repeal happened the influx of quality gins and flavourless vodkas meant that martini could get drier and drier. Essentially there are two ingredients:

1. 2oz/50ml of gin or vodka. The best you can get your hands on.
2. A dash of vermouth around 5ml. Kina Lillet makes Bond's vespers, Noily Prat has amazing subtlety in its flavour but there's nothing wrong with Martini Extra Dry.

And then comes the art…

The Nick Martini (a la Dukes Hotel)

1. Freeze your gin for 2 hrs (over night if possible).
2. Chill a small martini or coupe glasse in the same freezer
3. Add a splash of your vermouth to the glass
4. Pour in the frozen gin
5. Take a strip off an unwaxed lemon (amalfi if possible) with a vegetable peeler and pinch it between your fingers over the drink. Brush the lemon over the rim of the glass then drop it in skin side up.

The Dirty Martini (traditional stirring method)

1. Fill your martini glass with ice (crushed if possible) and slug a dash of vermouth over the ice.
2. Add a handful of your ice to your cocktail shaker, then your gin, and then 3/4tsp of brine from an olive jar. Stir 10-20 times.
3. Tip away the ice and the vermouth into the sink (enjoy the excess of chucking away your low proof booze but savour how nice that martini lining to the glass will make the drink)
4. Strain your gin into the glass and drop a lovely plump olive in. Think of it as grown up bobbing for apples.