Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini

by Anistatia R. Miller, Jared Brown

Overview

This updated edition features recipes from the world's greatest mixologists, including 107 classic gin and vodka Martinis, more than 110 Modern Martinis, and a directory of the world's best Martini lounges

Shaken Not Stirred® celebrates the Martini—the quintessential cocktail, the crowning jewel of civilized decadence. Historians and mixologists Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown revise their lists of classic Martini recipes and update their roster of modern Martinis— from the Espresso Martini to the Fresh Fruit Martini, from Cosmos to MarTEAnis—to suit current taste. They also provide eye-opening, never-before-published discoveries in their history of the cocktail in both America and Europe.

Over the past fifteen years the way people think about and drink cocktails, especially Martinis, has been radically transformed. In this new edition, readers can hone their bar skills with tips from some of the world's finest mixologists. They can learn how to stock a topshelf home bar as well as make infusions and special garnishes. Partyplanning advice, fun bits of trivia, a few jokes and anecdotes, plus a directory of the world's best cocktail bars, are the finishing garnish on this modern cocktail classic!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062130273
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/02/2013
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Anistatia R. Miller and Jared M. Brown are the directors of Mixellany Limited, a drinks consultancy and publisherof books on drinks and spirits. During their twenty-year collaboration,Miller and Brown have written more than thirty books, includingShaken Not Stirred®: A Celebration of the Martini, Cuban Cocktails,and The Mixellany Guide to Vermouth & Other Apéritifs. Recipients ofthe International Wine & Spirits Competition 2011 Communicatorsof the Year Award, the couple's two-volume masterwork, SpirituousJourney: A History of Drink, won the coveted Gourmand WorldCookbook Award for Best Drink History in the UK in both 2009 and2010. Jared Brown is also the master distiller of Sipsmith, the firstcopper-pot distillery to be licensed in London in more than 189 years.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

TOP SHELF
The Rise and Refinement
of the Classic Martini

The Top Ten Alleged Martini Inventors
1.J.P.A. Martini, Paris, France, 1763
2.Parker's Saloon, Boston, MA, 1850
3.Professor Jerry Thomas, Martinez, CA, 1852 (or San Francisco, CA, 1860)
4.Harry Johnson, New York, NY, 1860
5.Heublein Company, Hartford, CT, 1894
6.Martini & Rossi, Turin, Italy, 1890
7.The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, London, UK, 1910
8.Signor Martinez, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, NY, 1910
9.Martini di Taggia, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York, NY, 1910
10.Harry, Harry's New York Bar, Paris, France, 1911

More intellectual duels have been waged over the Martini's origins than for any other cocktail (and just as many feuds over its preparation have parted close allies). However, there is a detente. All factions mutually agree, Martinis must be made and presented with style. Traditions die hard, and we're grateful that this singular golden rule is the point of difference between the drink known as the "elixir of quietude" and other alcoholic beverages, like shooters, coolers, umbrella drinks, and Jell-O(R) shots.
As in any rite of passage, neophytes must prepare for the initiation that takes them from the adolescent world of keg parties to the refinement of the Martini. Elders of this growing sect are well versed in the enigmatic questions of mixology; they faithfully practice the prescribed rituals both in public and private. They revere the drink's champions. They tell tales that have been passed down from generation to generation about the Martini's origins and its rise to elegance. They share the names andlocations of sophisticated Martini shrines they've discovered along the way.
Martini Zen
The Art of Fine Mixology
See, in mixing, the important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan, you shake to fox trot time; a Bronx
to two-step time. But a Martini, you always shake to waltz time.
-Nick Charles,
The Thin Man
Nora Charles:
How many drinks have you had?
Nick Charles:
This will make six Martinis.
Nora Charles:
[to the waiter] All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here.
-The Thin Man




The last time someone proffered a spirit in a plastic bottle near me,
I waited until it was empty, brandished it
in front of the cretin - who'd completely forgotten by this time that it wasn't a genuine glass bottle - and discreetly whacked him over the head with it. After he realized he wasn't dead, he spent the rest of the evening over-using the same gag on anyone who'd stand still long enough.


The one who drives
When he's been drinking
Depends on you
To do his thinking.
-Burma Shave roadside sign from the 1930s.
Key to Icons

Stir. Fill the shaker halfway with ice. Add ingredients, and stir contents for at least 15 seconds. Strain and pour.

Shake. Fill the shaker halfway with ice. Add ingredients, affix lid, and shake for at least 8 seconds or until it's too cold to hold. Strain and pour.

Let stand (aka: an in/out). Fill the shaker halfway with ice. Add ingredients, affix lid, and let mixture stand for at least 15 seconds and up to 3 minutes. Strain and pour.

Garnishes.

Special tips or mixing hints.

Variations.

Toasts.

So you already know how to make a darn good Martini. Frankly, that's not good enough. You want to make the best Martini that ever graced the inner curve of a thoroughly chilled long-stemmed cocktail glass. You don't just want a Perfect Martini (see page 52); you want Martini perfection! No? It's your first time, and you just want your date-who's arriving for cocktails in ten minutes-to believe that you've made a Martini before? Either way, read on!
The first thing to realize is that there are very few components to a Martini. There are the ingredients: gin (or vodka), vermouth (or its replacement), garnish, and ice. Then there's the equipment: a cocktail shaker or mixing glass and stirring spoon, long-stemmed glasses, and swizzle sticks or toothpicks. That's it. So it's through the proper manipulation and balance of these few items that you're going to produce liquid satin instead of a drink that'll leave you licking stamps just to get the taste out of your mouth. This, young Grasshopper, is Martini Zen.
Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini. Copyright © by Anistatia R. Miller. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

Table of Contents

The Martini Menu		6	(3)
Preface & Acknowledgments		9	(4)
Introduction		13	(3)
Martini Zen: The Art of Fine Mixology		16	(9)
CHAPTER ONE TOP SHELF THE RISE AND REFINEMENT OF THE CLASSIC MARTINI		25	(60)
Gin & Sin: Classic Gin Martinis		27	(35)
From Russia with Love: Classic Vodka Martinis		62	(23)
CHAPTER TWO SPECIALS THE MODERN MARTINI RENAISSANCE		85	(47)
Garden of Eden: Fruit Martinis		87	(14)
Flowers & Chocolates: Dessert Martinis		101	(7)
The Silk Road: Spice and Cajun Martinis		108	(10)
Distilled Essences: Flavored-Vodka Martinis		118	(7)
Passionate Elixirs: Martinis Built for Two		125	(7)
CHAPTER THREE GUEST LIST MODERN MARTINI CULTURE		132	(11)
Martini Music: Classic and Modern Lounge Sounds		133	(2)
Jacket Required: Martini Fashions		135	(1)
R. S. V. P.: Martini Party Planning		136	(7)
CHAPTER FOUR HAPPY HOUR THE WORLD'S BEST MARTINI LOUNGES		143	(11)
Appendix: Instilled Essences: Infused-Vodka Martinis		154	(3)
Bibliography		157	(1)
Selected Index		158	(2)
Last Call		160

Editorial Reviews

E.B. White called it the 'elixir of quietude.' Dorothy Parker's analysis is perhaps even more poignant:

• I like to drink martinis
• Two at the very most
• Three, I'm under the table
• Four, I'm under my host.

Publisher