Winston Churchill famously said that for a perfect martini, one should glance across the bar at the bottle of vermouth while the bartender fills a glass with cold gin. The last time I had a martini in the UK, the barkeep poured a dash of vermouth over ice in a cocktail shaker, then strained out the vermouth before adding the gin. There is a long tradition of drinking martinis with minimal vermouth, to the point where one wonders whether the ingredient should be omitted altogether. If you ask me, this is because people have been using the wrong vermouth, generally Martini and Rossi. My gin martini uses a better French vermouth, which has such a beautiful, perfume-like bouquet that it doesn't matter if you use a more inexpensive gin. Trust me, this vermouth makes a world of difference, and it's only a dollar or two more than the usual kind.
3 oz. gin (I'm using New Amsterdam)
1 oz. Noilly Prat vermouth
green cocktail olives OR a twist of lemon rind
Pour gin and vermouth over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake or stir for ten to twenty seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or, if you're clumsy like I am, a tumbler. Add an olive or two on a toothpick, OR garnish with a twist. Squeeze the lemon rind first, letting the oils drop into the drink.
Works well as part of a three martini lunch.
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Naturally, if someone else is footing the bill go for the Old Raj, not the New Amsterdam.
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