How to Make a Classic Martini

I don't know about you guys, but I could use a drink.

A few weeks ago, I went down to the Pegu Club,

where the owner, Audrey Saunders,

showed me how to make a classic martini.

I'm gonna show you guys how to do it, too.

We're gonna start with ice.

I'm gonna use cold draft ice,

which is what they use at the Pegu Club.

They come in about one and a quarter inch cubes,

but you can get those silicone molds

that create pretty much the same thing.

I'm gonna put this ice cube in the palm of my hand,

and take a bar spoon, but really, any spoon will work,

and crack it.

There we go.

Some are easier to crack than others.

I'm gonna go ahead and fill this,

like, two-thirds of the way.

That way, when I add the spirits,

it's gonna get nice and cold.

Alright, that's our ice.

Now for the most important part, the booze.

With any recipe, I want to taste my raw ingredients

before I mix them together,

just to make sure they're gonna work.

I've got Beefeater and Noilly Prat.

I've tasted them together before, I know they're great,

so that's what I'm gonna use.

This is a pretty standard jigger.

It's three-quarter ounces on one side,

and an ounce and a half on the other.

So first, the Noilly, three-quarter ounce.

Pour to tension until you get that little convex edge, okay?

Right in the glass.

Now the gin.

So, four ounces.

Same thing, we're gonna pour to tension.

That's gonna be an ounce and a half.

That's three.

And then I'm just gonna pour another ounce, four.

Now for the stirring.

Kind of my favorite part.

The important thing is to not hold the glass.

It's gonna warm up the drink,

and what we want to happen is the ice to melt slowly

and just dilute the alcohol a little bit.

That's gonna take the edge off.

I'm gonna do this cool finger dance

and hold the edge with my thumb,

and put my pinky on the board for stability.

So, holding from the top,

you kind of twirl it like spaghetti,

and I'm gonna stir it 50 times.

50 is the magic number for perfect dilution.

You'll see the ice kind of loosen up as you stir it.

That's how you know you're ready.

I'm gonna pour this into a Nick and Nora glass.

I've got one chilling in the fridge.

So pretty, looks like a tulip.

Super-classy way to serve a martini.

This is a Hawthorne strainer.

You've seen it in cocktail sets.

It's gonna catch any of the stray ice chips as I pour.

And, into the glass.

If you've got a little bit extra,

you can serve it in a little sidecar on ice.

Okay, last thing, the twist.

Usually, we are used to taking twist off

with a peeler or something,

but we want to create some tension in the citrus,

so I've got a little paring knife,

and I'm just gonna take off an inch or so.

And a little bit of pith is okay.

That's gonna make it stiff enough to squeeze.

From, like, four, five inches away,

just give it a squeeze, and you'll see in good light

the oils kind of dance across the top of the martini.

Then, rim the glass.

Some of those oils right on the nose,

and then just float that twist right on top.

Now that is a classic martini.

Cheers, guys.

For this and more pro tips,

go to bonappetit.com/clap.

That's Cook Like A Pro.