Professional photograph of a Martini cocktail with garnish in elegant bar setting

Cocktail

Martini

Le Martini est un cocktail classique, élégant et sophistiqué, préparé à base de gin et de vermouth sec, souvent garni d'une olive ou d'un zeste de citron. Sa saveur délicate et son apparence raffinée en font une boisson prisée dans les bars du monde entier. Que ce soit sec ou avec un peu de vermouth, le Martini est un symbole de la culture du cocktail.

  • sec
  • amer
  • floral
  • salé
Elena
By ElenaClassic Cocktails & Gin ExpertPublished Reviewed
Prep Time
3 min
Glass
Cocktail glass
Difficulty
Intermediate
ABV
31%
Yields
1 serving
Jump to Recipe
Saved!

Le Martini est un cocktail à base de gin, reconnu pour ses notes sec and amer — parmi les "cocktail" les plus recherchés. Prêt en seulement 3 minutes, idéal pour soirées élégantes et simple à réaliser chez soi. Si vous cherchez "soirée", cette recette est pour vous.

Key Takeaways

What you’ll learn

  • The classic martini ratio is 2.5:0.5 gin to dry vermouth (5:1), though the spectrum ranges from wet (2:1) to bone-dry — personal preference is the only rule.
  • Stirring is the traditional method, producing a silky, crystal-clear cocktail; shaking makes it colder and cloudier but "bruises" the gin.
  • Vermouth quality and freshness are as important as the gin — store it refrigerated and replace it every 3–4 weeks after opening.
  • The garnish — lemon twist or olive — fundamentally changes the cocktail's aromatics and should be chosen deliberately, not randomly.
  • Always pre-chill the glass for at least 15 minutes; a warm glass is the fastest way to ruin an otherwise perfect martini.

Ingredients

Serves
1 serving
Glass
Cocktail glass
Prep
3 min
  • 1 2/3 ozGin
  • 1/3 ozDry Vermouth
  • 1Olive

Method

Preparation

  1. 01

    Voici la traduction des instructions en français :

  2. 02

    Direct : Versez tous les ingrédients dans un verre à mélange avec des glaçons. Remuez bien. Filtrez dans un verre à cocktail martini refroidi. Pressez l'huile de zeste de citron sur la boisson, ou décorez avec une olive.

Origin

History & Origins

The Martini stands alone at the apex of cocktail culture — a drink so refined, so perfectly balanced, that it has become synonymous with sophistication itself. No cocktail inspires more passionate discussion: from the gin versus vodka debate to the proper vermouth ratio, from stirred versus shaken to olive versus twist, every element of this deceptively simple cocktail has been analyzed, argued, and perfected over more than a century of mixing.

The Martini's origins are disputed. Multiple cities claim the invention — San Francisco's Occidental Hotel, the town of Martinez, California, and New York's Knickerbocker Hotel among them — but what is clear is that the drink emerged in the late 19th century from the Martinez cocktail, a sweeter precursor made with Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, and maraschino liqueur. As London Dry gin became dominant and tastes moved toward drier expressions, the modern Martini evolved: dry vermouth replaced sweet, and the ratio tilted increasingly spirit-forward through the 20th century.

Multiple cities claim the invention — San Francisco's Occidental Hotel, the town of Martinez, California, and New York's Knickerbocker Hotel among them — but what is clear is that the drink emerged in the late 19th century from the Martinez cocktail, a sweeter precursor made with Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, and maraschino liqueur.

The vodka martini gained prominence in the 1950s and 60s when vodka entered the American market, famously championed by Ian Fleming's James Bond. His "shaken, not stirred" prescription started one of cocktail culture's most enduring debates, though the gin-and-stir traditionalists have always maintained their ground. Today the Martini is a benchmark by which bartenders and bars are judged — a drink whose two-ingredient simplicity is deceptive, concealing depths that reveal themselves differently depending on the gin, vermouth, ratio, technique, and garnish chosen.

Bartender’s Insight

Pro Tips

Remuez, ne secouez jamais, pour obtenir un refroidissement approprié sans excès d'eau

From Elena

  • utilisez un gin London Dry de qualité

  • le vermouth doit être frais (dans les 3 mois suivant l'ouverture)

  • servez extrêmement froid dans un verre pré-refroidi

At the Table

Perfect Pairings

Olives
Huîtres
Fromage bleu
Saumon fumé
Caviar

Beyond the Classic

Variations

Martini Sec

Moins de vermouth pour un profil spiritueux et moins botanique

Martini Parfait

Parts égales de vermouth sec et doux pour l'équilibre

Martini à la Vodka

Remplace le gin par la vodka, créant un profil plus propre

Watch

See it in action

Questions

Frequently Asked

Martini Recipe — Authentic Gin Cocktail | Hero Cocktails | Hero Cocktails