Every day is Martini Day around these parts but today, we’re told, is actually World Martini Day.

To celebrate, Belvedere Vodka have dug up all sorts of quirky Martini factoids as well as a guide to mastering your Martini.

They have also recommended five bars outside of London which offer particularly fine Martinis.

Three of them are in Scotland: Blythswood Square in Glasgow and The Devil’s Advocate and Bramble in Edinburgh.

Origins of the Martini

The origins of the Martini are murky but the combination of varying ratios of vermouth and vodka or gin have long been popular.

Gin was the first spirit to be used in Martinis. However, during the 1930s and 40s, grain shortages meant that the quality of gin plummeted.

A gap in the market opened and vodka was quick to fill it. Teamed with a huge marketing push from vodka brands at the time, vodka Martinis slowly began to reign supreme.

Ian Fleming is widely credited with contributing to the popularity of the vodka Martini by giving his hero, a certain James Bond, a version of the cocktail in Casino Royale (1953).

Mastering your Martini order

First things first, would you like vodka or gin? Since this piece has had much help from Belvedere guide, we’re going to assume you’ve picked delicious, nutritious vodka.

Shaken or stirred?

Now, would you like it shaken or stirred? Although often debated, it is acceptable to order it either way.

Stirring or shaking produce the same amount of dilution and chilly temperature, however stirring simply takes longer to get there.

While the shaking method introduces air into the spirit and alters the texture, stirring gently leaves the spirit undisturbed in its frosty state, leading to a silkier consistency.

Feeling dry or wet?

Now this next step has sparked many a fierce argument: wet or dry?

Put another way, ‘how much vermouth would you like in your Martini’?

While Bond ordered his ‘dry’, don’t feel compelled to do the same. By all means, experiment, however there are countless ratios of vodka to vermouth that are just as delicious.

Over the years, the Martini ratios have varied since vermouth was sometimes difficult to access (because of two World Wars, for instance).

Ernest Hemingway favoured the Montgomery – fifteen parts gin to one part vermouth.

Alfred Hitchcock famously preferred his Martini so dry that the closest he would come to a bottle of vermouth would be looking at it from across the room.

Do the twist?

Garnishes are important. The classic garnishes are typically a lemon twist or a green olive, but your choices don’t have to be limited to these two.

A twist of grapefruit is a stunning departure from lemon and has a softer, more aromatic citrus note, which works very well in a Martini which uses Lillet, for instance.

For a more savoury garnish, blue cheese-stuffed olives, or even anchovies, can add salinity and complexity to a Martini.

Sip

When it comes to the actual enjoyment of your Martini, remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Perhaps the most important decision is whether or not to order your second one.

Bear in mind Dorothy Parker’s quip:

‘I like to have a Martini, two at the very most. After three I’m under the table, After four, I’m under my host.’