Creating the perfect martini is a real art form. While there are plenty who love the classic version of the drink — just gin, with a tiny whiff of dry vermouth, stirred together and perhaps garnished with an olive — there are also millions of martini variations incorporating just about every flavor and liqueur you can imagine. While purists might decry drinks like the Espresso Martini as not a martini at all (which I might have to agree with — though it is a fine drink, it isn’t really a martini) there are still variations you can make which keep within the bounds of tradition.
The key to a good martini variation is understanding your base spirit. With gin, you’ll find a wide range of botanicals used which give a big range of flavors to the final product. So you need to identify the key flavors of your gin, and use that to pick your vermouth and your bitters.
This genius flavor wheel from The Botanist Gin makes finding the perfect vermouth and bitters pairing a snap. And to get you thinking as well, the brand has also shared a selection of martini-adjacent cocktails.
Extra Chai Martini
By Chad Spangler at Service Bar, Washington D.C.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz chai infused The Botanist
- 1 oz bianco vermouth
- 2 bar spoons fino sherry
- 1 bar spoon falernum
- Chai black olives
Method:
- Measure all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir with ice.
- Strain into chilled martini glass, and garnish with chai black olives
St. Nick’s Night Cap
By Sarah An at Jolena Sound Room, Miami
Ingredients:
- 2.25 oz popcorn-infused The Botanist
- .75 oz blanco vermouth
- Popcorn
- Peppermint bark
Method:
- Measure all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir with ice.
- Strain into chilled martini glass and serve with a small bowl of popcorn and white chocolate peppermint bark.
The Botanist Yuzu Tea Toddy
Ingredients:
- o 1.5 oz The Botanist
- 4 oz chamomile tea
- 0.75 oz yuzu juice (or substitute lemon juice)
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
Method:
- Add all ingredients to a mug
- Garnish with lemon wheel
