From classic gin martinis to refreshing lemon and basil martinis, here are the best recipes for martini variations.
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March Martini
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This ultra-elegant martini made with three gins and black lemon bitters is just one example of the impressive co*cktail program at MARCH, a fine-dining restaurant in Houston.
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Dirty Pasta Water Martini
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In place of a drier, juniper-forward London Dry Gin, the Dirty Pasta Water Martini features a herbaceous gin (Vetri prefers Revivalist's Equinox Expression), which adds a subtle, floral quality to this co*cktail and delivers a round gentle sweetness that plays off the salty and starchy pasta water.
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Sakura Martini
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This elegant, modern take on the saketini was created by Kenta Goto, owner of Manhattan's Bar Goto and Brooklyn's Bar Goto Niban. Goto uses aged genshu sake and gin in the drink, and garnishes it with a salt-pickled sakura, or cherry blossom.
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Chandelier Martini
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Stirred exactly 24 times, this classic martini is made extra special with the addition of Chandelier Magic, a citrusy and aromatic homemade blend of bitters. Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur, brings a subtle herbaceousness to the Chandelier Magic, which pairs perfectly with the slightly–sweet Old Tom-style gin.
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Frozen Martini
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Max Green, owner and bartender of NYC's Blue Quarter, shared his recipe for the perfect martini, which he makes ahead in big batches and freezes. There's no ice and no stirring or shaking with the Frozen Martini: With a formula of two parts gin, one part vermouth, and one part water, the ideal dilution is built into the batch. When you take it out of the freezer, the liquid won't be completely frozen but will glide right out of the bottle.
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Salmon Martini
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Smoked salmon-infused gin and a caperberry garnish channel all the bagel and lox vibes into a balanced, brunch-perfect co*cktail in this play on a dirty martini that's served at Bar Moruno in Los Angeles.
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Espresso Martini
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This recipe from Simon Sebbah, beverage director at NYC's American Bar, gets you a perfectly frothy, caffeinated co*cktail every time.
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Affogato Martini
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Patrick Smith, manager of bar openings across New York's Union Square Hospitality group, tilts the espresso martini into dessert territory by adding gelato. Taste his version at Maialino (vicino) and Maialino (vino) or make it at home.
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Caprese Martini
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Leave it to buzzy New York co*cktail bar Jac's on Bond to find the perfect marriage between a martini and a Caprese salad. One sip of this tomato and basil co*cktail will immediately conjure comforting and familiar images of everyone's favorite Italian appetizer.
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MSG Martini
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Channing Centeno, lead bartender at Cantonese American restaurant Bonnie's in Brooklyn, creates a solution of MSG (monosodium glutamate). Like table salt, the salt that naturally occurs in things like tomatoes and cheese enhances the flavor of anything it's added to. Shaoxing wine, a sweet and sour Chinese rice wine made for both drinking and cooking, is used in lieu of vermouth here, bringing complex, savoriness, acidity, and subtle sweetness to the martini, while olive brine adds a briny, saline quality.
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Gibson Martini
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The Gibson — a variation on a Martini made with a splash of pickled onion juice and garnished with a pickled pearl onion — doesn't get enough love, but we're here to change that. Made simply with gin, dry vermouth, and salty brine from pickled pearl onions, the result is a balanced martini with just enough salty-and-sour savoriness.
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Martini
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The original martini, allegedly invented in the U.S. in the 1860s, was made with sweet vermouth. One of the first recipes for a dry martini, made with dry vermouth, appeared in Frank P. Newman's 1904 American Bar.
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Aged Martini
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This classic gin-based co*cktail develops a smooth, deep flavor after being aged in an oak barrel for three weeks.
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Lemon & Basil Martini
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Naren Young created this martini variation after tasting a lemon-and-basil sorbet at a restaurant. Sweet white vermouth emphasizes the basil's herbal quality, while limoncello and lemon juice give the drink a double-citrus punch.
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