Cleaner and quieter than its gin cousin, a vodka martini is all about texture and cold. Dry vermouth adds a faint herbal, winey note, and the garnish decides the mood: briny with an olive, fragrant with a lemon twist.
2 oz
vodka well chillede.g. Absolut · Smirnoff · Grey Goose · Ketel One · Belvedere
½ oz
dry vermouthe.g. Noilly Prat · Martini · Dolin · Cinzano
1 dash
orange bitters optional (optional)e.g. Angostura · Regans' Orange Bitters · Fee Brothers · The Bitter Truth
Garnish: Olive or lemon twist · Ice: Served up, no ice
Vodka Martini (Kangaroo)
Very dry, clean and cold, with a silky texture and a soft herbal lift from the vermouth. Strong and spirit-forward.
The vodka martini follows the template of the classic gin Martini, simply swapping the base spirit. It became popular in the United States as vodka took off in the 1950s and 1960s, and the James Bond films helped make it famous, especially with Bond's line about wanting it shaken, not stirred.
Older drinks lists sometimes call the same mix the Kangaroo, although where that name comes from is unclear. Today most bars simply call it a vodka martini, and the proportion of vermouth varies widely, from a generous measure in older recipes to just a rinse of the glass in very dry modern versions.
Classically stirred for a clear, silky drink. Shaken is colder and cloudier; it is a matter of taste.
Anything from a rinse to about a quarter of the drink. A ratio of 4:1 vodka to vermouth is a good starting point.
Some older drinks lists use that name for vodka and dry vermouth, but its origin is not documented.
The perfect sound
Shaken, not stirred, with secret agent cool.
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