Cocktail Guide: How to Order and Drink a Martini Like a Man

 

Ordering a martini can sometimes sound like an interesting turn of specific lingo if you are unfamiliar with the drink. Maybe you hear someone order it extra dirty but dry and wonder what that actually means. At the same time, ordering a manly martini will have its own qualities compared to ordering an unmanly one. First, it is important to understand what a martini is. The basic version is dry vermouth with gin along with an olive or two. That is the most basic you can get, but is that considered manly?

No Fruitiness

One of the easiest aspects to consider about a manly martini is no fruity frills. While the apple martini may be a tasty delight, it is far from being a manly martini. After all, a manly drink should be smooth but stern in quality and ingredients. Stick with the basic mixes and have a couple of lemon twists in it but don’t go so far as to order a lady’s version of the drink if you are going for a manly presentation.

You don’t need any frills. Instead, you can ask for the way you like it. Dry means it has a minimal amount of vermouth. Bone dry means absolutely no vermouth. Some men like it shaken with ice as opposed to stirred. Others like it shaken and stirred. Either way, do not ever ask for a martini on the rocks (over ice). A martini is always served straight up (no ice). Next, you will need to consider some other traits of a man’s martini mix.

Different Gins and Lingo

When you know how to order a martini like a man, the best thing to do is simply specify the type of gin you like, whether you want it shaken or stirred and specify how dry or wet you want it. Keep it simple like that and you will be able to look pretty sharp ordering that drink without any added questions from the bartender. If you don’t really know which gin to order, fear not. Have a quick look at the selection. The liquor on the top shelves are usually the best ones.

Then you need to become familiar with the lingo of ordering a manly martini. What does dirty mean? How is shaken different than stirred? When you hear people ordering this drink, they usually sound exactly like they know what they want. Wet and dry are two words you will hear and that is based on how much vermouth is used. Wet martinis have more vermouth and less gin. Dry martinis have more gin and less vermouth. The manly versions are on the dry side.

More Lingo

All of the lingo is pretty simple. The next term you will hear is “dirty”. This means that olive juice is added or sometimes brine to mask the alcohol and give the martini a salty taste. This is not considered the top martini and is not usually the way to order one in a manly style. Keep it clean and top shelf. Have a decent balance of vermouth and gin on the drier side.