Tag Archives: Martini

Gin, Vermouth

Errol’s Martini Special

Leave a comment

Any list involving Hollywood and the consumption of alcohol is incomplete without the mention of a number of celebrities, and Errol Flynn certainly deserves to be on the shortlist.

A man who at 33 was able to consume a bottle of vodka a day and at the same time meet and woo his wife-to-be, the 19 year old daughter of an L.A. County Sheriff’s capt., and all this whilst standing trial for the statutory rape of two minors (he was acquitted by a jury of 9 women and 3 men), must, for better or for worse, be included (having been born in Hobart, Australia, his nickname The Tasmanian Devil seemed doubly apt).

Picking Mr. Flynn’s favourite drink is a daunting task, comparable to guessing which tooth of the buzz-saw hit the board first, as the possibilities are endless. His excursions to so many watering holes (as well as to those establishments which offer more exotic pleasures) are legendary: the Cuban Hotels National and Floridita (including meet-and-greets with Fidel), Hollywood’s Cocoanut Grove and Chasen’s, Jamaica’s Titchfield Hotel, and so on and on. The Cuban mixologist Fabio Delgado Fuentes created this cocktail in his honour: The Martini Special:

1½ oz gin (Hayman’s Old Tom Gin if available)
¾ oz vermouth (Carpano Antica Vermouth i available)
2 drops Orange Flower Water
Dash Verte de Fougerolles Absinthe Verte
Dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Twist Lemon Peel over glass and discard [1]

[1] This variation was supplied by Savoy Stomp and reduces the orange flower water from the original 1/6 oz. to a few drops – http://savoystomp.com/2009/03/18/martini-special-cocktail/

Gin, Vodka

The Vesper Martini

Leave a comment

The beloved catchphrase “shaken not stirred” can first be found in Ian Fleming’s  novel “Diamonds are Forever” (1956), but surprisingly, the first to speak it in a Bond film is Dr No in the film by the same name in 1962. The first time Bond places this order himself can be admired in “Goldfinger” (1964).

But since Bond’s tastes have changed over the years …

“Goldfinger” (1964):
Mei-Lei: “Can I do anything for you, Mr. Bond?”
James Bond: “Uh, just a drink. A Martini, shaken, not stirred.”

“Casino Royale” (2006):
Bond: [after Bond has just lost 10 million in the game] “Vodka-martini.”
Bartender: “Shaken or stirred?”
Bond: “Do I look like I give a damn?”

“Quantum of Solace” (2008):
Bond: “I don’t know. What am I drinking?”
Flight bartender: “Three measures of Gordon’s Gin, One of Vodka, Half a measure of Kina…”
Mathis: Kina Lillet.”
Flight bartender: “Kina Lillet, which is not Vermouth. Shaken well until it is ice cold. and served with a large, thin slice of lemon peel. Six of them.”

… the Martini named after Vesper Lynd (“Casino Royale”) seemingly represents the Bond taste better than the classic Martini:

  • 1 oz Vodka
  • 3 oz Gin
  • 1/2 oz Lillet Blonde
  • garnish with lemon peel

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?” (from the novel “Casino Royale”, Chapter 7).

Gin

Nick & Nora’s Dry Martini

Leave a comment

Nick & Nora’s Dry Martini

Nick Charles: “What are you drinking?”
Guest: “Nothing, thanks. Nothing.”
Nick Charles: “Oh, that’s a mistake.”

Reporter: Is he working on a case?
Nora Charles: Yes.
Reporter: What case?
Nora Charles: A case of scotch.

When in doubt, seek professional advice:  

  • 1½ oz Beefeater Gin
  • ½ oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

Nick Charles: “The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry Martini you always shake to waltz time. Add ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice, stir, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a small Spanish olive without pimento.”