What Makes The Perfect Vodka Martini

The Perfect Vodka Martini

In the perfect vodka martini, you’re looking to complement your spirit with your choice of vermouth and garnish rather than overpower it. With vodka as subtle and flavoursome as Botanic No7 this is a delicate balance but we believe we’ve found the perfect martini recipe which makes martinis accessible even to people that don’t typically enjoy this traditional cocktail. So if you’re trying to broaden your cocktail horizons and sound like a pro when you order your next martini keep reading!

The Best vermouth for the Perfect Vodka Martini 

With a flavour profile led by nature, Botanic No7 is a well-balanced vodka that allows for the discovery of new flavours outside of a juniper base making it a great alternative to the traditional gin martini. With these elegant and herbal flavours in mind, it is important to select a vermouth that does not overwhelm the exceptional taste of the vodka. 

At Gattertop we love finding products that compliment the delicate flavours of our vodkas and are constantly in pursuit of the perfect vodka martini, that is until we found Cocchi Americano. 

Cocchi Americano is a quinine-flavoured aperitif wine produced by Giulio Cocchi Spumanti in Asti province of Italy made using only natural ingredients which we love! On the nose, it is sweet and weighty with rich aromas of cherry and peach, refreshed with a green herbal finish. It has warm, cherry-menthol notes on the palate with roasted almonds and a clean grassy finish which goes perfectly with Botanic No7.

Dry or wet - What does it mean? 

These distinctions refer to how much vermouth you want in your martini. Depending on the type of vermouth you use can make a martini “dry’ or ‘sweet’ and vermouth used in vodka martinis is typically dry.

Where people get confused is that when you request a ‘dry’ martini, it surprisingly does not mean you want a more dry vermouth, but in fact means you want less vermouth.

A typical dry martini will have a small measure of vermouth, while an extra-dry martini will have even less vermouth. A wet martini would then be the exact opposite of that concept, meaning you favour more vermouth in your martini. More traditional martinis were made ‘wet’ with almost equal measurements of vodka and vermouth.

Dirty, Gibson, and Vesper Martinis

Dirty

What makes a martini dirty? Martinis are made dirty by adding a splash of olive juice to the final martini and garnishing with an olive. The level of ‘dirtiness’ is also something you will need to experiment with and is entirely down to personal preference. So get to experimenting!

Gibson

A Gibson is a martini made to your preference either dry or wet and instead of the traditional garnish of either an olive or a lemon twist a Gibson Martini is garnished with a pearl onion. This simple change gives the drink a different undertone, transforming it from a briny olive to an earthy, light onion flavour.

Vesper

The Vesper Martini was popularised by James Bond, first described in the book “Casino Royale. Originally made with gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet. A vesper is slightly sweet and bitter, garnished with a twist of lemon for freshness. Kina Lillet is no longer in production but today's closest alternative is in fact Cocchi Americano.

At Gattertop Drinks, Founder Gemma Standeven likes her martini dirty and dry!

Gattertop Drinks “Perfect” Vodka Martini

So how do you make the perfect vodka martini?

Make a show-stopping vodka martini and impress your guests with your newfound knowledge by serving them the perfect vodka martini made with multi-award-winning Botanic No7, garnished with olives and a sprig of rosemary to complement the savoury botanicals in Botanic No7 and the grassy notes of Cocchi Americano.

Here’s exactly how we like it…

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml Botanic No 7
• 15ml Cocchi Americano
• Olives and a sprig of rosemary
• Lots of ice

METHOD

• Pour the Botanic No 7 vodka and Cocchi Americano with plenty of ice into a cocktail stirring glass.
• Stir and strain into a chilled martini glass if possible.
• Serve with olives and a sprig of rosemary to garnish.