“The martini is the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.”

H.L. Mencken

It’s a week until the 4th of July so I thought I would post this in plenty of time for anyone who wanted to prepare martinis for the big day.

It’s really easy to make the absolute best martinis at home but you need just a little bit of preparation in advance.

I may be British but two thirds of my readers are from the United States. Furthermore, the martini itself is, of course, an American creation. This is therefore for you.

How to Prepare a Martini at Home

It’s very easy if you’ve got the right glasses, ingredients, a freezer and at least six hours. You’re going to store your gin/vodka and glasses in the freezer to get them beautifully, deliciously cold and smooth.

This is the Dukes Bar method where you don’t need a cocktail shaker or ice. It’s the easiest method and, in my humble opinion, the best.

However…

If you don’t have six hours…

You’re too late to have a really cold martini right now, BUT we’ve still got some options.

If you can wait for an hour…

Pre-pour your martinis into v-shaped glasses using the measurements below, then pour each one into a clean jar. Close the jars tight then wet some kitchen towel with tap water and wrap it around each jar. Put the jars plus your glasses in the freezer and let them cool down for an hour. The glasses will freeze up nicely with the moisture from the martini rinse.

Meanwhile, when everything is in the freezer, you’ve got time to arrange your lighting, pick the music and prepare your martini food to accompany your drink. It might also be a good time to pre-make dinner so you’ve got something to eat once the martini ceremony is completed. You can see some recipe suggestions at the end of the post.

Alternatively, you can use ice

This is the traditional way to make a martini and doesn’t involve the prep time of the freezer, but in my opinion, it’s sub-optimal when compared to the Duke’s method.

Nonetheless, if you’ve got ice cubes, you can either shake or stir your martini into coldness. I would still recommend wetting your glasses and putting them in the freezer for at least twenty minutes if possible, because it will make a difference.

Otherwise, fill a shaker (for shaken) or jar, glass, jug etc (for stirred) with clean ice (not something that might’ve picked up odours from the freezer). Pour your martini into the vessel to your preference (the full measurements are below), shake or stir firmly, but not vigorously (you don’t want too many shards of ice in your drink, watering it down), until it’s suitably cold (I would recommend at least 20 seconds per drink, if not more), then pour into a glass and garnish with either olive or lemon peel according to preference.

If you’re stirring your martinis you can do more than one at a time in the mixing vessel, so long as everyone has similar preferences. If only one person wants a dirty martini, add their brine after you have poured their drink.

Otherwise, if you’re going to follow the Duke’s method of keeping your spirits and glass in the freezer, read on…

For the Duke’s Method You Will Need:

• V-shaped cocktail glasses (about 3.5 – 4.5 US fluid ounces).
• A freezer
• Gin (or vodka if you prefer).
• Vermouth (make sure it’s fresh, not something that was opened six months ago and/or left unrefrigerated.
• Olives in brine or a fresh lemon – your preference

Instructions

1. At least six hours before you intend to drink, put your bottle of gin plus the relevant number of glasses into the freezer.
2. Put your vermouth into the refrigerator at the same time to make sure it cools down too.
3. When it’s time to serve, take the glasses and gin out of the freezer.
4. If you are serving your martini with lemon, peel some fresh zest and gently twist and squeeze it inside the glass. This should spray a fine mist of lemon oil onto the glass that will make the drink taste beautiful.
5. Pour vermouth into the glass to taste (usually around 0.5 – 3 teaspoons).
6. Top up the glass with the gin. This should be around 3-4 US fluid ounces, depending on the glass you are using and your personal preferences.
7. Use the lemon peel to stir the drink, or if you are using olives, skewer one or more olives onto a toothpick or cocktail stick and use this to stir the drink.
8. Drop the lemon peel or olives into the glass as a garnish.
9. Serve immediately and celebrate your nation’s martini heritage.

“[The Martini is] America’s lethal weapon.”

Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the USSR Communist Party

Alternative Martinis to serve on American Independence Day

The above recipe is for a standard classic gin martini but you might want to try out some alternatives as well.

The Vodka Martini

Some people are snobby about using vodka in a martini but we need only point out James Bond and say nothing more. Additionally, a good quality vodka is a clean, sanitising medicine that also lets the vermouth shine and the garnish bask in the glory of the martini. Drink on and enjoy. In order to make it, you follow the exact same process as above, but replace the gin with vodka.

The Dirty Martini

This is another American classic. The original martini comes from the United States and so does this variation. It’s got all the wonder and beauty of a classic martini, with a saline bite and the lightest touch of titillation that creates both a strong brand image as well as a yearning mouthfeel for your post-aperitif dinner.

The Hot ‘n’ Dirty Martini

Yet another American beauty, this drink elevates the Dirty Martini with the heat of a highly American ingredient: Hot Sauce.

If you’re lucky enough to be celebrating independence day with seafood, this is an excellent pairing. It matches particularly well with shellfish or crustacea. We’ve just left oyster season on the East Coast but they can still be sourced from other parts of the country. Year round oysters are available from the Pacific Northwest, California and increasingly Louisiana (an oyster region to watch!).

I first had this martini variation in New York City alongside a large plate of oysters at the beautiful Mermaid Inn, although given we’re in the heat of the summer I also find myself drawn by this drink to things like shrimp on the barbecue. New Orleans also seems to beckon, with dishes like gumbo or even a hearty Po-Boy.

You might not normally associate the latter dish with martini culture. It’s a sandwich made with Louisiana bread (evolved from French bread, like a crisper baguette) and it’s often made with seafood. ‘Po-boy’ literally means ‘poor boy’ but this Martini Socialist regards it as a national American treasure and definitely a good hearty meal to soak up the alcohol of a fine martini. Anthony Bourdain recommended them as well so we can’t argue with that. And if anyone has a petition for the po-boy to be recognised by the UN for ‘intangible cultural heritage’ status, please send me a telegram.

The Bone Dry Martini

This is one of the most viewed pages on this site. As the original martini evolved from the 1800s it become drier and drier over time, particularly around World War Two when vermouth production was almost entirely under the control of the Axis powers and people had to make do. However, I personally associate it, not just the Second World War, but also with the Korean War of the early 1950s. The depiction of a Dry Martini in the 1970s American sitcom M*A*S*H included a sketch describing a Dry Martini so poetically powerful you will always remember it whenever you order a particularly dry martini.

The Pickle Martini

This martini is an ode to the power of American immigration. If it wasn’t for the arrival of diverse cultures over the years then America would have neither the Pickle Martini, nor the Martini at all. The drink is the creation of immigrants. It is a testament to the grit of immigrants. It is a shining, living, dynamic cultural monument to the perseverance of American immigration and the American dream that fuels it.

I feel that this martini variation in particular owes a great debt to the mighty wave of Polish migration that has defined so many aspects of American culture, although the humble ogórki has of course, been enjoyed, appreciated, and propagated by many other immigrant cultures to the United States, particularly around what I think of as ‘the Greater Baltic’ region ranging from Germany to Murmansk. People from this wider region have brought innovation, labour and culture to the United States to the extent that this Central/Eastern European food is now widely considered an American standard. So why not celebrate both America and the grand story of immigration to the country with this salty, savoury and ever-so-slightly sweetened variation on the classic?

The Martinez

You might not like it, but this is probably what one of the original martinis looked like. The Martinez is often thought of as the original martini, but there is evidence that it is probably one of several drinks which eventually evolved into what we now recognise as a martini.

Either way, it is one of the older established cocktails in today’s alcoholic ecosystem and it consists of vermouth (red and white) with gin, and maraschino liqueur, plus bitters.

It’s much sweeter than a classic martini, but it’s American AF. Try it out – but remember to keep your vermouth in the fridge once it’s opened or it will go off. You can enjoy the drink on it’s own, on the rocks or with a slice of lemon throughout the summer as a refreshing beverage!

The Churchill Martini

The best-known British Prime Minister was half-American. His mother was born in Brooklyn and is said to have had some Iroquois ancestry. If you didn’t know that, then now you do!

Not only was he a fiend for martinis, he was even legally allowed to drink them in America during prohibition due to a medical waiver signed by his doctor. Ah the good old days.

If you want to mark the legacy of this historical figure for American independence day, why not enjoy martinis the way he did – without any vermouth at all? It’s just neat gin, preferably chilled. Have fun!

An Earl Grey Martini for the Irish Americans

While this might sound quintessentially British, I decided to include the Earl Grey Martini variation because I thought you could serve it as a nod to the Boston Tea Party. Add some olive brine to really evoke tipping it all into the sea.

You could even try a good Irish gin in recognition of Boston’s rich history of Irish cultural connections. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin would be a good choice, as would Double Boatyard, although they are both so beautiful I like to enjoy them as they are rather than infusing them with tea.

The Appletini

This is far from the classic martini, but it’s very much an American creation. It was first mixed up in New York, then swept the world via the very American institution of Playboy. It’s even become the official cocktail of Facebook after it was depicted in the film ‘the Social Network’, a reference which Mark Zuckerberg liked enough to endorse.

The Lychee Martini

This fabulous drink burst onto the scene in Midtown, Manhattan. For me, it inspires East Asia, and I was first introduced to it by a lady from Singapore, but like so much culture of the Martini, it’s yet another example of the overwhelming power of migration. It hails from a Korean restaurant in New York City and it was from there that it spread around the world. It’s sweet and only half the strength of a classic martini which might make this an ideal choice for many people wondering what drink to celebrate with. It’s also pretty easy to prepare.

The Lemon Drop Martini

Like so many martinis, the first time I had this variation was in New York. There’s so much I like about this drink. It’s simple, easy to prepare, and becomes this zesty, ballsy mashup of sweet and sour. It’s fresh and feisty. It’s easy to prepare for a crowd. And it’s not as strong as a classic martini. This is a great one for a party. Enjoy!

The Cotton Candy Martini

Okay, this is a tough sell. It involves a LOT of sugar and you need to get your cotton candy in advance. However, if sweet drinks and a bit of visual flair on a budget are you thing, this is a great drink to go with. You mix the cocktail, then serve the cotton candy on the side. The drinker then gets to place their ‘garnish’ on the drink and watch it dramatically melt and vanish. The thrills!

The Porn Star Martini

This drink needs no introduction or further comment. But it’s amazing.

The Parmesan Cheese Martini

This is by far my most viewed martini on this site, and it’s almost entirely by viewers in the United States. So if you think this sounds like something you’d like to try, you’ve got a week to get it ready – perfect! Just infuse your gin or vodka with parmesan for a few days, strain it, chill, and pour.

The difficult part is picking the foods you want to pair it with. Honestly this is a great martini, and thoroughly recommended. I’ve even seen other people copying it on TikTok which I’m taking as a compliment.

The Blue Cheese Martini

If you’re going to do Parmesan, why not try Blue Cheese? I personally don’t think it’s as good as a Parmesan martini but it might be up your alley. Otherwise, the United States is very good at olives stuffed with blue cheese, so maybe that’s the best place to start as something to serve alongside a more classic martini recipe. Blue Cheese is good!

What food to serve with a July 4th Martini

If you’re thinking of serving martinis I recommend you have your food options sorted out first. You don’t want to end up drunk on an empty stomach with no food ready and diminishing ability to do anything about it.

It’s summertime so I feel like barbecue and burgers are definitely a good way to go, although they don’t traditionally pair with a martini. Level it up by serving the canapé equivalent: miniature sliders.

A nice steak would certainly be tantalising after a cold silver bullet. Perhaps not at the same time as the drink, but definitely right afterwards.

Jerky might seem a little rough as a martini accompaniment but the taste profile usually goes very well with a cold, botanical gin.

As mentioned above, oysters make a perfect accompaniment but I would recommend shucking them before you pour your drinks, and setting them on a bed of crushed ice to stay cold. Don’t shuck them whilst drinking or after you’ve poured your drink because it will interrupt the flow of your martini ceremony.

Naturally olives are a classic serve. Peanuts are also ideal to enjoy alongside your drink. Popcorn also goes very nicely and isn’t too heavy. These latter two both feel a little Lax Americana but they’re nothing if not convenient and tasty.

Pickles too, make an excellent accompaniment and even a garnish if you’re that way inclined as indicated above.

Alternatively, if we’re going to revisit the theme of British-Americana collaboration at this politically sensitive time 🤭 have a look at this recipe for miniature savoury pancakes inspired by a story involving Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower.

Otherwise, enjoy yourselves a very happy Independence Day, with plenty of martinis to accompany!

“On the beach, in Hawaii, in 2017.”

President Barack Obama, when asked how he liked his martinis.

Aloha Oe!