For a cocktail with only two ingredients, the martini receives a hell of a lot of airtime. Churchill’s daily consumption is well documented; Bond guzzled them like water. Mad Men’s Roger Sterling took his with vodka, while Hemmingway favoured The Montgomery. Although these men were very particular about how they ordered theirs, the everyman voice comes – as it so often does – from Homer Simpson, who asks for his “full of alcohol”.

When the first martini recipe was jotted down by Jerry Thomas in his 1887 book A Bartender’s Guide, gin was the spirit he used. As gin is made using an infusion of herbs and botanicals, it’s often considered to have more depth and intrigue than vodka. Having said that, many prefer vodka for its clean, crisp, smooth flavour.

“Try both and see which you prefer,” suggests Mia Johansson, co-owner of London’s multi-award-winning bar, Swift. “I drink both in a slightly different way but they are equally tasty. I take my vodka dry and my gin wet.”

Don’t order vodka just to follow Bond. It’s a common misconception he only drank his vodka martinis. In the Ian Fleming novels, his character orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin. Which brings us on to…

What’s In A Martini?

The classic martini has become a drink that transcends bartending. It’s made with either gin or vodka, plus a serving of vermouth and ice with a garnish of lemon rind or olives. With so few components, it’s the ultimate test of a mixologist’s skill and there is absolutely no margin for error.

How To Make A Martini: The Classic Recipe

Ingredients

60ml gin or vodka

1tsp vermouth

Twist of lemon peel or three olives

Evenly-sized ice cubes

Method Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a bar spoon, stir in the same direction for 20 seconds. No more, no less. Strain the liquid into a frozen martini glass. Add your garnish of choice and little brine from the olives if you’re feeling dirty.