Last weekend, I was the designated host for a poker session that my friends and I are going crazy about nowadays. So I decided to serve martini and some mixed nuts. It is so easy to set up your own martini party. All you need is a good bottle of gin or vodka, vermouth, olives, a cocktail shaker and of course the very elegant martini glass (its not martini if you don’t have the glass). Let me share with you the book so we can all enjoy a martini party.

Martini is a real American drink, born and bred in the United States. Presidents to movie stars, journalist to poets, businessmen and employees have been sipping this drink whether during casual affairs or during black tie affairs. But where did it really originate? It was said to be discovered sometime during the latter part of the nineteenth century, although according to Sally Berk, the origin is still a subject for debate.

There are five theories as to places where martini was said to originate. The first says that it was in the San Francisco Bay Area during the Gold Rush. The second says that it originated from Martinez, California as the name implies. The third says it came from a bartender at the Hoffman House in New York around 1880. The fourth story attributes its origin to an Italian immigrant named Martini di Arma di Taggia who tended a bar at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York. Lastly, it was said to have come from the Netherlands. It is true enough that gin was invented in the Netherlands but not martini; but with all these stories it is clear that it points to America as its country of origin.

But how and why did it become so famous that it is said to be an icon? All other cocktails have their role in society but the martini captured the people so much that it became the quintessential cocktail drink ever since. Perhaps its simplicity is so appealing; you only need two things to make it. Or maybe the iconic stature of the martini glass gave it its staying power.

Gin or vodka, vermouth and olives are the essential ingredients to make a basic martini. Of course there are numerous recipes for martini, but lets start with the basics first.

Gin is a gift to drinkers by the Dutch who call it ginievre, which means "juniper". It is clear liquor distilled from grain and flavored with juniper berries. Gin is very easy to make because it does not require any aging, and it became popular during the Prohibition, because you could distill it anywhere. There are three kinds of Gin. First is Genever, which is the original recipe of the Dutch, which is highly flavored. Second is Old Tom, a non-dry gin because a sweetener is added to dry gin. It is believed that the original martini was created with Old Tom gin. Third and the most famous is the London Dry gin. It is readily available in the market and is the most common type that is served in bars. Needless to say, do not settle for the cheap ones--choose the best. Because it is the main ingredient, don’t hold back because it can make or break the drink.

Vodka is a gift to drinkers by the Russians. Vodka means, "little water" and is made from distilling potatoes but it can also come from grains and does not require aging. Though a lot of martini purists consider vodka martini as bastardized martini, a lot of drinkers respect it and say it has its place in the martini pantheon. The best time to serve vodka is when it comes out of a freezer when the bottle is coated with ice. By law vodka should be flavorless because it is a neutral spirit to begin with, unless it is flavored vodka that is famous nowadays.

The other key ingredient is vermouth. A dry martini does not use vermouth, but for many it must be there. It is a fortified wine, which means a stronger alcohol, like brandy that has been flavored with herbs and spices, is mixed. Vermouth came from the word wermut—it means "wormwood"--which was considered poisonous during the old times and was also used in making absinthe. Martini uses white, dry vermouth also known as French vermouth, a white liquid that can stand on its own as a cocktail drink.

The quintessential garnish for a martini is an olive. Olives are fruits that originate in the Mediterranean, which require multiple steps to become edible. The most common used for martinis is the one soaked in brine with a pimiento stuffing. Some aficionados use vermouth as brine for their olives, thus making vermouth unnecessary to use in your drink.

"It is not stirred but it’s shaken" says James Bond. You need a shaker to make a very smooth martini because it chills the drink quickly and uniformly. Decorative shakers are available in supermarkets but a simple stainless shaker will do and it does make a fashionable statement.

Martini glasses are triangular shaped glasses. It is the symbol of the drink. It is made out of good quality glass and sometimes found in glassware or home furnishing shops. Never use plastic; and the better the glass material, like crystal, the better the experience.

There are several gadgets available to make your martini exciting like misters to make a really dry martini, or a martini tester to know the amount of vermouth in a martini. These are not necessary but it will surely make drinking more fun.

Experiment with a free hand. There is so much to explore besides gin or vodka and vermouth. You can use flavored vodka; flavored gin or you can play around with your own flavors. You can even make a vanilla gin if you like; just soak your vanilla in gin then taste. Some recipes use rum or scotch. It’s all up to you, and the more the merrier.

Garnishes for contemporary martinis go far beyond olives. You can also experiment on other kinds of stuffed olives as it can change the character of the drink. You can also use cocktail onions, pickled veggies like asparagus, etc. If you think it’s a garnish, then it is. Toothpicks are an essential item in making garnish.

Just make a mini bar beside the poker table with all the requirements and shake that martini.

6 parts Lambanog

1 part Triple Sec

1 part Mango Juice

1 piece Dried Mango

Procedure

1. Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain Into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with dried mango.

6 parts Gin

1 part dry Vermouth

Cocktail Olives

Procedure

1. Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with olive.