This week's cocktail is the Classic Martini. Because you should make at least one from every bottle of gin and this bottle of Jensen's is nearly finished. I like mine quite wet.
60ml quality gin. Jensen's, Sipsmiths, Miller's, Blackwood's, Geranium, etc etc. Expect to pay 25 quid upwards and don't bother with rubbish like Gordons. At least Sapphire doesn't stink of perfume like Gordons but it also doesn't taste of much.
10ml Noilly Prat
Stirred[1] with ice rocks for 40 seconds and strained into a martini glass straight from the freezer.
2 brine olives, shaken dry on a cocktail stick
6:1 seems right to me. Noilly Prat is more "classic" flavoured than any other. 40s stirring gives just the right dilution. This is not an iced gin shot, it's a Martini. All that stuff about just waving the Vermouth at it, or freezing the gin first is just macho bullshit.
The biggest problem is getting through jars of olives fast enough so you use most of them before they start growing mould. Even in the fridge, they don't seem to last long once opened.
And lastly some words of advice to young people. Count your martinis and then punt. One is just right. Two's too many. And three's not enough.
[1]Don't ok, just don't! It's too hard to control the dilution if you shake.22 Musley Ln