Alissa, how do you like your martinis? Gin or vodka? With a citrus twist or dirty? I’ve been on an old fashioned kick lately, but I’d love to know what makes your martinis so great (if you’re making them)!
Oh man -- well, I have a few preferences. When I'm out, I usually order them with Hendrick's; at home we tend to end up with whatever weird/special gin is being sold at the Duty Free when we're traveling, though we also keep Aviation around because it's quite good. I go back and forth between a bone-dry martini with a twist and a super-dirty martini, or a Gibson (recipe for that in SALTY actually!). Never ever vodka EXCEPT sometimes there will be a weird blue cheese olive situation in blue cheese-washed vodka, and I'll drink that. The main reason I love a martini is that most of the classic cocktails are a bit sweeter or more syrupy than I like when I order them out!
(But to complicate all of this, when I make one at home for myself -- that is, when my handsome in-house bartender isn't around -- I just pour gin over ice, add a dash of dry vermouth, stir it and call it a day.)
That's so true about cocktails out, sweet and syrupy (which is how my husband likes them ha). But I will have to order a Hendrick's martini the next time we're at my favorite bar! Your at home recipe reminds me of Alison Roman's recommendation for pitcher martinis over ice :)
Alissa, how do you like your martinis? Gin or vodka? With a citrus twist or dirty? I’ve been on an old fashioned kick lately, but I’d love to know what makes your martinis so great (if you’re making them)!
Oh man -- well, I have a few preferences. When I'm out, I usually order them with Hendrick's; at home we tend to end up with whatever weird/special gin is being sold at the Duty Free when we're traveling, though we also keep Aviation around because it's quite good. I go back and forth between a bone-dry martini with a twist and a super-dirty martini, or a Gibson (recipe for that in SALTY actually!). Never ever vodka EXCEPT sometimes there will be a weird blue cheese olive situation in blue cheese-washed vodka, and I'll drink that. The main reason I love a martini is that most of the classic cocktails are a bit sweeter or more syrupy than I like when I order them out!
(But to complicate all of this, when I make one at home for myself -- that is, when my handsome in-house bartender isn't around -- I just pour gin over ice, add a dash of dry vermouth, stir it and call it a day.)
Oh, and I have Salty on my cookbook shelf (read it, loved it) and will definitely check out that Gibson recipe!!
(It's in the Arendt chapter)
That's so true about cocktails out, sweet and syrupy (which is how my husband likes them ha). But I will have to order a Hendrick's martini the next time we're at my favorite bar! Your at home recipe reminds me of Alison Roman's recommendation for pitcher martinis over ice :)
182! Insane. Also, really glad you linked your Joan Didion piece - exactly what I've been looking for, and I missed it!
It was so fun to write!! Also: I don't know if you have NetGalley access, but my book is lurking on there now ;)