Ordering a Martini

The martini is one of the most classic and recognized cocktails, but ordering one at the bar and getting what you want can be more challenging than one would think. I can say for myself that I've had to drink my share of mediocre martinis. If the following is all old news for you, skip this article and proceed to the bar.

To satisfy my martini craving, I headed to Adam's Place in Eugene, OR. An upscale restaurant and lounge in downtown, Adam's Place also has one of the largest scotch selections Oregon. Portland has many options including Vault, Saucebox, Mint 820 or Oba's. General rule for getting a martini: go to a bar that takes pride in their drink list or a really ritzy restaurant, stay away from dives and sports bars.

The first decision when ordering a classic martini is choosing gin or vodka. Gin is the more traditional choice, but vodka had a huge surge in popularity and I would not be surprised if today it is more common. Next, you must choose which brand of booze you prefer. My only advice here is to try what's out there and stick with at least mid-level liquor or your martini will most likely be an unpleasant experience. Some vodkas: Ketel One, Grey Goose, Belvedere, Stolichnaya, Chopin, Monopolawa, Stolis Elit and Jewel of Russia. The latter two are very expensive. Some gins: Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Tanqueray 10, Beefeater and... I need to sample more gins. Next you throw around a bunch of martini lingo that hopefully has some meaning to you. Dry means little to no vermouth, a fortified white wine and the only other ingredient in a classic martini. Wet means heavy vermouth, although I've heard it interpreted as a request for sweet vermouth, so you might want to just say heavy vermouth if this is what you want. Dirty means a splash of green olive juice is added which makes the martini cloudy and salty. Shaken or stirred? Shaking bruises the liquor and seems to eliminate some subtle flavors resulting in a smoother spirit. A connoisseur might say that it ruins the spirit, but thanks to James Bond, shaking is almost standard now. Stirring avoids any bruising and should sufficiently chill the liquid. Olive or twist? Not much to explain here, try out both. Typically a twist is a lemon twist, but you might also give lime a try.

I ordered a Chopin martini, shaken, extra olives. Chopin is a potato vodka that I like. Note that in modern-day bars if you don't specify wet or dry, the martini will probably fall on the dry side. If you don't specify shaken or stirred, it will most likely be shaken. If you don't specify olive or twist, you'll probably get an olive.

Be specific and thorough to get what you want. This might make you sound cool or sound like a tool depending on your style, but that's a different topic.