I came across this web page titled The Perfect Martini and I was fascinated. Towards the bottom of the page, the author issues a challenge. Not only did I mix the three drinks listed, I added three more. Here are my results:
Drink #1: Make this one with straight Gin. Don’t add any dry Vermouth.
I used Bombay Original London Gin, swirled it in a glass with ice and then strained it into another glass. This gin had a slight bite to it, but it was not terrible.
Drink #2: Use an 8 to 1 ratio for this one. That means 8 parts Gin to 1 part dry Vermouth. Or to put this in measurement terms, use 2 ounces of Gin and 1/4 ounce of dry Vermouth.
I used Bombay Original London Gin and Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth. Swirled in a glass of ice and then strained into a fresh glass. The vermouth definitely took the edge off of the gin.
Drink #3: Use a 4 to 1 ratio this time. Or 2 ounces of Gin and 1/2 ounce of dry Vermouth.
Bombay Original and Martini Extra Dry vermouth.
Prepared the same as #1 and #2. I felt there was too much vermouth, it seemed to overpower the gin.
My added drinks:
Drink #4: Straight Bombay Sapphire. This gin had a more pungent aroma, I thought a detected spanish cedar. It was smoother tasting than the original.
Drink #5: Bombay Original with Martini and Rossi Extra Dry and Rosso Vermouth. The sweetness of the Rosso rounded out the cocktail nicely. I also enjoyed the slight golden color it gave the drink. Using both sweet and dry vermouth makes this a “Perfect” martini.
Drink #6: same as drink #2 except I used the Sapphire.
I enjoyed drink #2, #5 and #6. I enjoyed #6 so much I added some vermouth and finished it off
I understand now why Sapphire is top shelf and Original is not. I think Sapphire will be my gin of choice in the future. I also enjoyed the “Perfect” combination and I intend to pursue that further at a later date.
I wrote the author and gave him my findings. He responded with another experiment for me to try:
Challenge #2
What you might want to try next, is a true blind tasting between several different gins.
In addition to Sapphire, I’d recommend adding Plymouth, Tanqueray (regular), Hendricks, and Beefeater. Make sure you really don’t know what is in any of the glasses, and if possible share the experience with some friends.
After trying the gins straight, then add an equal measure of water to them and try them all again. Try to come to a concept of which you like best, and only after that, reveal to yourself what the different gins were.
I’ve got some drinkin’ to do !!!