You sometimes see an article that attempts to persuade people who think they don’t like gin that they’ve just had a bad drink. (Usually the case.) The Reverse Martini might do the same for the reputation of vermouth. I doubt many people in so-called Martini bars have any idea what vermouth tastes like. If they do, it was a nip of the stuff they picked up cheap and tasted warm, then left open in the cupboard to oxidize for the next several years. All those customers who are told they want a Martini made with that goofy atomizer should try a decent vermouth drink with a reliable brand that’s been stored they way you would an open bottle of wine, which is what vermouth is.
Reportedly, Julia Child liked this cocktail. She had taste and liked a bit of booze as much as the next, so she ought to have known.
Reverse Martini
- 2 oz dry vermouth (Dolin)
- 1/2 oz dry gin (Tanqueray)
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters (Angostura Orange)
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
I’ve taken my standard Martini recipe and just inverted it. The housemate and I tried a Cocchi Americano one too, which was richer and very different. He liked the Cocchi a little better than I did, though both were good pre-prandial cocktails.
I tend to dislike the idea of reverse Martinis and Manhattans because I see it as an extreme version of the snobbery involving measuring how hardcore a cocktail fan you are by how much vermouth you like. Clearly if you like more vermouth than spirit, you must be badass, right? Bullshit, what if I only like a little vermouth in my Martinis?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, with that said, the reverse Martini is incredible. It deserves to have its own name, not a derivative one. I think it's the perfect drink to start off a night of drinks in a easygoing manner.
The name didn’t bother me too much, though I sort of wondered if I should drink it standing on my head or something.
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