How to master… The perfect Martini

Bond may like his Martinis ‘shaken not stirred’, but there are heaps of different ways to make the classic cocktail. So, to celebrate the release of Spectre this month, we’ve created a guide to knocking-up the spy’s favourite drink. Serve this recipe to any of the mates and you’ll have them coming back for Moore.

What you’ll need

To make this grand-daddy of all cocktails, you really only need two ingredients: vermouth and gin. Most London bars add a heavy splash of vodka to the drink, but if you’re on a mission to thrill, we say, stick to gin.

Opt for top quality brands when shopping for your ingredients. Like choosing a supermarket own brand of beans over a tin of Heinz, Martinis never taste as good with budget brands. For the vermouth, we’d suggest Noilly Prat. For the gin, only Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray Ten will do.

If there’s a Monnypenny in your life that you’re looking to impress, make sure the drink is super-chilled. Leave the glasses in the freezer at least an hour before serving and always serve ice cold. You’ll also need a strainer and metal shaker if you really want to mix things up like 007.

Ingredients

• Vermouth
• Gin
• 7-8 ice cubes
• Olives to serve
• Olive juice (optional)

Instructions

Fill the metal shaker or container with the cracked ice to make sure the cocktail is just the right temperature.

Pour in the dry vermouth (only about a cap’s worth will do). Give it a quick stir and then pour the liquid down the drain – yep, that’s right, down the drain.

Next, add about three ounces of gin into the mix, stir briskly for about 10 seconds, then use a strainer to pour the liquid into the cocktail glass. Pop an olive or two onto a toothpick and rest on the glass. Or, if you want to spice things up, throw in a dash of olive juice to turn it into a really dirty Martini.

Queue up the Bond playlist on Spotify from ‘Adele’ to ‘Wings’, grab some mates and then serve up the villainous drink. After a few sips, everyone will be convinced you’re Britain’s best cocktail-making agent. It’s the perfect Licence to Kill.

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