I begin with the basics. For reasons I do not understand, a martini must be drunk from the glass which is easiest to spill from and the easiest to break.

If you’re too drunk, you might end up spilling the martini before you get the chance to drink it – although this may be a blessing in disguise.

I imagine that the long stem allows the drinker to hold the chilled glass without getting cold fingers and without warming up the contents.

I wash my martini glasses by hand. I have lost several to the washing machine. There is also something ceremonial about rinsing them out one by one.

Once clean, I then rinse them under a cold tap (or bottled water if you are located in a country where the tap water is not drinkable). I then store the glasses in the freezer, for reasons I shall explain later.