Don’t copy James Bond: drink a Dry-Martini !

(by Bertie)

Do you remember Humphrey Bogart overdress in his trench coat in 1942 for the movie “Casablanca” directed by Michael Curtiz? What a man! Eversince I saw that movie I have been waiting for rain so I can wear my trench coat.

Did you know that when they filmed this movie in Morocco, the team had some problems getting a full night sleep due to the mosquitoes. Boogie (Bogart) found a solution for the problem: before going to bed he drunk so much Dry-Martini that he didn’t even the notice the mosquitoes sucking his blood. The next morning he would find dead mosquitos everywere in his room….

The Dry-Martini is the king of the cocktails, it’s the cocktail of the real gentlemen and there aren’t a lot of other cocktails that have so many legendary stories. I think it has the finest taste of all cocktails and is one of the most powerful. The beautiful actress Ingrid Bergman used to say: “during dinner, give me a Dry-Martini: everything is okay… give me another and I’m under the table; give me three: I’m on my neighbor”. During the 50’s in Hollywood, the party for the last day of filming was called “the Martini Day”.

Let me now tell you the recipe for a real Dry-Martini as Collin from the Hemingway-Bar at the Ritz Hotel Paris learned one night (I will tell you another time what I did in the hotel that night buddies).

Probably the most important step; put your glass in the freezer for 30 minutes; Grab a shaker full of ice, add 1cl of Noilly-Prat Vermouth; Add 5cl of your favourite gin, and now stir with a spoon in the shaker for 30 seconds, no more no less. Yes, a spoon, and yes, stirr it instead of shaking it. James Bond always says “Shaken, not Stirred”, but that just isn’t correct. First of all, if you shake it, you will break the ice resulting in a less pure taste. Secondly, we cannot trust James Bond anymore (played by Daniel Craig) since he is wearing Tom Ford instead of Brioni, plus in the book of Ian Fleming the hero drinks a Vesper cocktail, which is also a good cocktail but it is not a Dry-Martini. A Vesper cocktail contains gin, vodka, white Lillet.

To finish up, you may now can overturn the gin and vermouth in the freezing glass and add a twist of lemon peel  (olive is better for a Vodka-Martini). Now that you have your Dry-Martini, be quiet and enjoy : cheers !