Martini is a world-famous and popularly loved fortified wine, infused with various spices and herbs. Ladies especially love him, although men will not refuse to sit with a glass of this fragrant and refined drink. In its pure form, it is rarely consumed. Often people, trying to change the strength or taste of a drink, do not always successfully experiment, supplementing it with various ingredients. Therefore, the question of how to drink martini correctly and with what is quite relevant today.
Classification, manufacturer
Martini belongs to the class of vermouth. The familiar name for everyone is the name of the brand, under which the products of the Italian company Martini & Rossi are manufactured. The production uses wine materials from various grape varieties: white (the drink is presented in bottles labeled "Bianco") and red (wine bottles are marked with the sign "Rossi")
How to drink martini and with what? This question interests many. It is believed that this drink should be consumed before meals, as an aperitif. It is an ideal option for all kinds of receptions and cocktail parties. Martini is also good for a romantic dinner. Refined fortified wine with a rich aroma and taste is suitable for those gatherings where the main thing is not drinking and food, but lively communication.
Structure
Martini is the most popular vermouth in the world - Italian, which contains 16-18% alcohol. The name of a wine flavored, infused with herbs, which is vermouth, comes from the German word Wermut, which means “wormwood”. It is this herb that is an essential component of all varieties of vermouth. Its volume is up to 43% of the extract used for aromatization of grape wines used in the production of vermouth. In addition to wormwood, the composition of the drink includes other spices and herbs: mint, immortelle, juniper, elecampane, yarrow, black elderberry, St. John's wort, cinnamon, oregano, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, chamomile, ash, lemon balm, angelica, etc. .
In the manufacture of certain types of vermouth, up to several dozens, and even up to hundreds of spicy and fragrant plants are used, enriching grape wine with special aromatic and taste notes, giving the drink tartness and aroma.
The origins
It turns out that it’s not so easy to get to the bottom of the creation of this legendary drink. According to one popular version, Hippocrates himself had a hand in creating it. Legend has it that 2 thousand years ago they insisted on wine on wild anise and artemisia. Who is the author of the idea of creating a drink, the story is silent. One way or another, martini is today the most popular type of vermouth in the world.
Production
A popular drink is made in Italy at the Martini & Rossi winery in Turin. White wines are mainly used as the basis for the production of classical vermouth, but recently, red and pink grape varieties have been increasingly used. White wine has a neutral taste and aroma, the alcohol content in it is about 11–13%. The strength of the drink, in order to achieve the necessary balance of taste, is increased to 16-18%. To the created wine base add sugar, pure alcohol, infusions or extracts of plant materials. Caramel is also added to red vermouth. Then vermouth is treated with cold, filtered, after which the drink should “rest” for a week (while the temperature is restored to room temperature).
The most popular types
The most popular types of vermouth are:
- Bianko. This is the name of white vermouth, characterized by a vanilla aroma and characteristic spice.
- Rosso. In this red vermouth, the rich aroma and bitter taste of the drink attract attention. The presence of caramel gives it a dark amber color.
- Rosato - the name of the pink vermouth, which is made from white and red grapes.
- Extra Dry - in this vermouth, characterized by a straw color, high alcohol content and a small amount of sugar, lemon, raspberry and iris fragrant notes attract attention.
"King of nightlife"
This is what professional bartenders call a drink adored by millions. The ranks of his fans are replenished every day. How to drink martini right? How to serve it? Do I have to have this drink? What is diluted with Martini Bianco and Rosso? What experiments are better to refrain from? Connoisseurs of the drink will be interested to know that martini is known as the favorite drink of James Bond, although in Russian clubs it is positioned mainly as a purely feminine one.
How should martini be served?
Experts say that this wine should be drunk moderately chilled. But do not try to freeze it to such an extent that the bottle is covered with hoarfrost. Warming the drink in your hands also does not make sense. The optimum temperature for it is about 10-15 degrees. With other indicators, the aroma and taste of the drink will not fully reveal.
Wine glasses
Drinking martini requires the presence of special glasses on a high leg, the upper part of which resembles the shape of an inverted cone. They are called so - “monkeys” or “martins”. It is not forbidden to use tall and low glasses, but you can fully enjoy the richness of the taste and aroma of a drink only by choosing the right glass.
Martini is rightfully considered a symbol of a beautiful life, so the special glasses for this drink are not just dishes, but the embodiment of sophistication and sophistication of style and taste. From such a glass do not drink in one gulp. According to the rules, martinis are drunk, slowly sipping, trying to enjoy every sip and fully try out a bouquet of all the spices and herbs that make up the composition.
Do I need to dilute it?
Martini is drunk in two ways: in pure form and as cocktails. In the latter, various components are added, which either soften or, on the contrary, increase the degree of the drink. Serve with clean olives, strung on a skewer or laid on the bottom of the glass, onion, a slice of lemon and a slice of ice. Sometimes berries and fruits are added to it: cherries, strawberries, kiwi, orange slices, pineapple slices. This adds a light fruity note to the aroma.
One of the compromise options for answering the question of how to dilute martini is to offer a drink with frozen berries and ice. The only drawback of this method is the resulting strength of the drink.
How to dilute martini: what do men think?
Many men consider the strength of the drink insufficient, so often they try to "strengthen" it. For those who choose “Martini Bianco” or “Martini Rosso” - “What to drink with?” - is an important issue. Most often, gentlemen prefer cocktails from this drink with some other strong alcohol. For example, bred with gin, the content of which in the cocktail should be 4 times the content of vermouth. Asked about how to dilute martini, the stronger sex is also used to create tequila cocktails. Its content exceeds the volume of martini by 2 times and is emphasized by a lemon slice. In general, men the question of how to dilute martini, is reduced precisely to the choice of the second component for the mixture.
Opinion of the ladies
Ladies rate the drink differently. Do I need to dilute martini? The fair sex answers this question mostly in the affirmative. But to ladies, a pure drink sometimes seems somewhat harsh, so they prefer to introduce non-alcoholic supplements into it.
How to dilute martini juice?
The most popular is the option of breeding this drink with juice. A classical ratio of 1: 1. Vermouth is poured into a special glass or glass, conical, on a long leg. Then there is added in the same amount of juice without pulp. You can, of course, drink with the pulp, but in this case the cocktail will have an untidy appearance. The choice of juice depends on the type of drink and personal preferences of the drinker. According to experts, “Martini Bianco” is best drunk with lemon, orange or lime juice, as well as grapefruit. The red vermouth (Martini Rosso) is perfect cherry, pomegranate, apple.
What else can be diluted?
Lovers of degrees mix a popular drink with vodka or gin. Fans of creative approaches willingly conduct experiments with lemonades, Coca-Cola, Cream Soda and various other pops. The main thing in this case is not to overdo it, to act so that the flight of imagination does not take away with it the original taste and the unsurpassed aroma of the drink. To the question of what “Martini Bianco” is diluted with, many sommeliers answer that tonic can be used for this, a very original taste can be achieved by diluting it with tea (green) and putting a small piece of ginger in a glass. Martini Bianco is also drunk with ice and lemon. It goes well with soda, lemonade and tonic.
Recently, Martini Rosso has become increasingly popular. "What to drink with?" - ask connoisseurs. “Martini Rosso” is consumed with juice, ice or lemon. It composes perfectly with all of the above ingredients except tea.
Martini Extra Dry drink chilled and clean. This type is widely used as the basis for many cocktails.
"Martini Rosato" is sometimes simply diluted with fruit juice (grapefruit, orange, cherry, pomegranate) or Spanish sparkling wine that resembles champagne.
Mix with tonic
Often network users ask the question: "How to dilute martini with tonic?" Experts note that vermouth is very successfully combined with tonic in various proportions, and offer several recipes.
The La Tini cocktail contains: two-thirds of martini (500 ml), one-third of tonic, 0.5 lime, 1.5 tsp of sugar, 3 sprigs of mint, ground ice.
The composition of the Brandy-Martini cocktail: 25 g of brandy (or cognac), 50 g of Bianco martini, 100 g of tonic, a slice of lemon, one olive. The ingredients are mixed in a shaker, two-thirds filled with ice, poured into a glass, decorated with olive and lemon.
Bianco Tonic contains: 200 g of ice, 30 g of lemon, 150 ml of tonic, 50 ml of Martini Bianco. A highball glass is filled to the top, Martini Bianco and tonic are poured there, stirred with a spoon. Garnish with lemon, served with a straw.
The content of the “Martini with Brandy and Tonic” cocktail is represented by an interesting combination of vermouth with brandy (cognac) and tonic. Ingredients: “Martini Bianco” - 30 ml, cognac (or grape brandy) - 15 ml, tonic - 60 ml. To prepare a cocktail, mix chilled tonic, cognac and martini in a glass. Beautifully decorated with olive.
Should I have a martini?
He has a bite, like any alcohol. Martini starters in Europe serve nuts and salted crackers, although many people think that olives or olives from a glass are enough. Food lovers are also advised to order spicy hard cheeses.
Conclusion
Knowing how to dilute Martini Bianco and Martini Rosso, you can arrange a pretty good reception. For this, among other things, you need to stock up on ice cubes, various frozen fruits, several bottles of spirits and a whole battery of various juices. In addition, you should pick lemons, olives, drinking straws, as well as onions for special gourmets. With this set, you will certainly be able to impress guests with delicious, original and varied cocktails created on the basis of your favorite drink.