The ultimate holiday drink menu requires a perfect martini

British-born gin connoisseur Simon Ford breaks down the components of a proper (and perfect) martini, a staple of any festive holiday gathering.

While most people agree that classics never truly go out of style, there's no denying the martini is having a moment in London right now. Forget low-ABV spritzes – the spirit-forward cocktail made with gin (or vodka) and vermouth and served in a V-shaped glass is so iconic, it's an emoji and status symbol all at once.

"The martini is a drink that bartenders love," says Simon Ford, cocktail expert and founder of Ford's Gin, who is a longtime fan of the classic. "It's a symbol of elegance and sophistication – and shows you have a deeper understanding of cocktail culture when you make and serve one well."

Ford notes that assembling the perfect martini requires a bit of attentiveness, a few specific ingredients, and just-the-right-sized glassware, preferably chilled. (He suggests serving martinis in smaller martini glasses – never the oversized ones – so that you and your guests sip only cold cocktails.) Attention to detail, he says, cannot be overlooked.

"The vermouth needs to be fresh, the glass should be in the freezer till the very last minute right before being poured," Ford says. "When it comes to making a martini, all the ingredients need to be treated with a lot of respect. It's a very sophisticated cocktail. It almost reeks of sophistication, and in terms of booze, it's much like a Manhattan or an old fashioned: it's a stirred, spirits-forward cocktail. If you live in a cold climate, a martini is a warming drink and fits quite nicely into a celebratory holiday. It's also a treat; a martini is not an everyday drink." 

Ford points out that there is an art to making the perfect martini, and the bespoke service and attention to detail is often worth the price. "There are places that specialise in making good martinis these days," he says, "places where you spend a little bit more money, and you expect extra service with a very proficient bartender in front of you. The whole thing lends itself to being a more celebratory drink."

The origins of this classic cocktail date back more than a century. Its recipe is actually a riff on other cocktails that came before it, but the martini was popular right from the very start, Ford explains. In fact, in pre-Prohibition New York City, the martini was the status symbol of its day.

"The martini is an evolution of the Manhattan, which was invented in New York City in the pre-Prohibition era," Ford says. "It put gin firmly on the map as one of the most important spirits in the US. The martini was everywhere in New York City up until Prohibition, just like the espresso martini today, just like the cosmopolitan in theSex and the Citydays. It was very sophisticated – arguably the mother of all cocktails." 

Not only was the martini a hit in the Big Apple, it had international ripples, a merging of a spirit invented in London (dry gin) with New York's cocktail culture, and it wouldn't be long before the martini found its way to the British capital. Ford points out that most significantly, the American Bar at the Savoy in London helped fuel the fervour of the cocktail.

"The American Bar was very known for making the martini famous [in London] and the influence of Ian Fleming and James Bond on the martini and its connection to London cannot be overlooked," he says. "Bond was drinking gin and vodka martinis. England's most sophisticated fictional character (at the time) was drinking martinis because Ian Fleming was drinking them! The Vesper martini was born out of fiction – and not a bar – which is remarkable in itself."

Ford explains that World War Two destroyed London and its cocktail culture, but in the 1980s and '90s it started to come back. What never went away, however, was the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, which was serving martinis perfectly, even when it wasn't in fashion. ("When cocktails were cool again and there was media attention, people like Peter Dorelli and Salvatore Calabrese were like, 'We've been doing this for 30 years!'")

Ford says the cocktail culture in London today is equally (if not more) exciting as the glory days of the past – and he is constantly in awe of and inspired by what bartenders old and new are doing. He sees the old guard upholding tradition with each classic martini poured, while the new are putting unique spins on the drink, among other riffs on classics.

At A Bar with Shapes for a Name, for example, "where they turn cocktails into an art", says Ford, they are currently serving an innovative take on the espresso martini, as well infusing dill in spirits using a sous vide method for their riff on a dry martini.

"There are so many different styles of drinks and creative bartenders putting their own twists and spins and pushing the limits," he adds. "London has become a hotbed of creativity in the drinks world, without a doubt: There's Lyaness, a bar that takes a very sustainable approach to creating drinks; and Tayēr + Elementary, which is like walking into the NOMA of cocktail bars. In the meantime, you go to Satan's Whiskers, which is a bartenders' favourite, where they do perfect martinis, Negronis and all the classics. Of course, all these new places are juxtaposed with the classic hotel bars delivering exceptional service. That's what's making the martini in London so hot right now." 

Fords Gin, created in 2013 by Simon Ford and 10th-generation master distiller Charles Maxwell, is made in the newly relocated Thames Distillers in Southwark, south-east London. The team recently opened a state-of-the-art bar and tasting room next to the distillery, which will be opened to the public but is currently only for trade and private events. Ford often gives tours to bartenders and is elated that they now have a space to showcase their gin, specifically in a martini. 

"After we have a martini at our distillery, we'll then take our guests on a tour of London's cocktail bars," he says. "London is such a hub of cocktail culture, and Ford's Gin was born in London and made in London, and now we get to celebrate the whole thing together – properly."

"The perfect martini (to me) is three or four parts Ford's Gin to one part vermouth, plus a dash of orange bitters; stirred always, with a lemon twist to express the oils – nice and cold, served in a smaller-sized, chilled martini glass. It's finding the balance between having the martini cold, and the right dilution and balancing the vermouth." – Simon Ford

Step 1 

Chill the cocktail glass by placing it in the freezer for at least 30 mins before serving

Step 2

Fill a mixing glass with ice, using the best quality ice available

Step 3

Pour in the gin, vermouth and bitters

Step 4

Use a bar spoon and stir for approximately 30 seconds until icy cold

Step 5

Strain the cold martini into chilled martini glass

Step 6

Garnish with a lemon peel

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Source: BBC