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This must be done smoothly with as little distress coming to the ice and gin as possible. And yet certain bartenders seem more intent on grinding the gin and ice together, taking as much care as a dinner lady stirring porridge. Move the spoon around the outside of the glass, rotating the ice as one block, allowing the gin to flow and swirl around the ice. Chilling, gently diluting and releasing all the flavours and aroma of the gin, ready to be slipped into the perfectly fitting, ice cold martini glass, where at last it can rest and bask in all its glory. How many times should you stir? Well the exact figure I was always given was 19. However, this is where you may again need to adapt. Depending on the type and size of ice you are using. I think that 19 times is a minimum time to let the gin chill. However, if you have larger cubes of ice than the ‘common garden’, you may need to stir on until that icy chill is achieved. If in doubt, practice and see what works best for you, now there’s an original excuse to drink copious amounts of alcohol in the name of training, and quality control. Don’t say I never give you anything. Finally we must of course garnish the martini to the liking of the customer. Well, here, as long as the bartender can get a washed olive safely into the glass, I’m home free. However, for those of you out there who prefer a twist it can still all come crashing down. ‘How?’ You ask. Well how many times have you seen a bartender carve a beautiful piece of rind and tie it in an extraordinary design all about fifteen feet away from the drink before placing it in.
Always remember, the cutting must be done over the top of the glass spraying the oil onto the surface of the drink. The rind is simply to look pretty but it is the oil that changes the drink completely. Again, there are hundreds of different techniques for zesting, and as long as the oil ends up in the drink, then guess what, I don’t care. |
