No cocktail invites conversation (or debate) quite like the Martini. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to make the classic cocktail, with different spirits, ratios, and dilution techniques resulting in distinct takes on the spirituous drink. It’s likely for that exact reason that the Martini has dominated cocktail culture in recent years, with bartenders shaking up all kinds of variations that range from savory and salty to crisp and refreshing.
Despite the wide range of Martinis emerging from the country’s top bars, it’s still commonplace for every Martini lover to have their own intensely personalized spec. Perhaps it’s a 5:1 they prefer shaken; perhaps it’s a 50/50; it might even be a 50/50 made with something like sake or sherry in place of vermouth. No matter what, it’s a pretty fair bet that anyone calling for a Martini has a very specific drink in mind. And who better to share their preferred recipes than the very bartenders crafting some of the country’s best cocktails?
To perfect our at-home Martini recipes, we chatted with bartenders from across the country to learn more about their chosen methods of preparation. While some like classic, 2:1 ratios of gin to vermouth, others go for drier, pre-batched mixes poured straight from the freezer. Keep reading to discover how seven of America’s best bartenders choose to enjoy their beloved Martinis from the comfort of their own homes.
Ed. note: Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Amy Racine
Partner & beverage director, JF Restaurants
@amyracine
I’m a 50/50 Martini drinker at home — I like them very wet. I prefer shaken (I like them to skate) until very cold and strained into a well-chilled Nick and Nora or small coupe glass. I landed on this ratio over time because it’s the most honest expression of what I actually enjoy drinking.
At home, I’m not looking for intensity or edge, I’m looking for balance, drinkability, and something that feels composed rather than aggressive. A true 50/50 allows the vermouth to fully show up as an ingredient rather than a modifier, which I think is often overlooked in Martinis. I also like citrus to keep it bright and fresh — it’s usually what I make as soon as I walk in the door after a long day or night. The higher vermouth ratio makes it feel lighter, more aromatic, and more food-friendly, while still being very much a Martini.
It’s a drink I’m happy to sip slowly without feeling rushed, so I usually leave about half in the freezer. To me, it’s a confident drink. It’s clean, easy, well made, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces London Dry gin
- 2 ounces dry vermouth
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora or coupe glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Steve Schneider
Co-owner, Birds / Partner & head bartender, Sip & Guzzle, New York City
@mightyschneidey
At home, I like to make freezer door Martinis — they’re easy and they’re served colder than ice can make them. I take 3 parts gin, 1 part dry vermouth, and ½ part water and put them all in a bottle. Put that bottle in the freezer, and it’ll be ready to go a few hours later. When it is, you just open the freezer, pour as much or as little as you want, and there you go. For garnish, I like Castelvetrano olives or a lemon twist, but that’s up to you. If you like Dirty Martinis, I’d put a ½ part olive brine in there in addition to the rest.
If I’m making a martini at home with regular ice, then I’ll probably go 50/50 — equal parts gin and vermouth. Basically, the colder I can make a Martini, the more gin-heavy the ratio gets for me.
Ingredients
- 3 parts gin
- 1 part dry vermouth
- ½ part water
- Garnish: Castelvetrano olive or lemon twist
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a resealable bottle and place the bottle in the freezer.
- Freeze for at least two hours before enjoying with your preferred garnish.
Kate Sikora
Head bartender, Hawksmoor, Chicago
@sangin_sikora
I love a good Martini at home after a long work day, but I actually don’t drink them very often. But they still feel special at home, even though I make them for a living at Hawksmoor, and I make a lot of them. My go-to at home is a Perfect Martini with a simple lemon twist — controversial, but true.
I actually learned how to make this particular Martini as a child. My father loved to teach me how to make cocktails so he didn’t have to, and I loved it. He has this great story of learning how to make this drink from the nephew of Al Capone. This Perfect Martini was apparently Mr. Capone’s drink of choice. I’m not sure if any of this is true, but 9-year-old Kate thought it was the absolute coolest.
Back then, I never measured a thing, I just went on feel and color — not taste. I was 9, people! I also served it over ice. All that has changed now, but maybe it’s coming back. My go-to spec now for the best at-home Martini is 2 ounces of London Dry gin, a half-ounce of dry vermouth, and a half-ounce of sweet vermouth, stirred and served up with a lemon twist.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces London Dry gin
- ½ ounce dry vermouth
- ½ ounce sweet vermouth
- Garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into your Martini glass of choice and garnish with a lemon twist.
Tristan Brunel
Head of bars, The Ned NoMad, NYC
@iiistanxbrunel
My go-to Martini spec in general is a 2:1 ratio of London Dry gin and blanc vermouth, usually with a couple dashes of orange bitters as well. I don’t often make them at home, but I keep a freezer Martini on deck any time I’m having company over, especially for a dinner party. I came to love this ratio from making countless variations of Martini specs for guests who had very specific Martini orders. Ultimately, the swap of dry vermouth to a larger ratio of blanc vermouth brings out a rounder and gently sweetened profile that leans a bit more into the aperitif style, which is what I’m looking for at the house.
I feel the softness does wonders to bring the botanical profile of the gin to life, while the orange bitters add a prolonged citrus component that helps any Martini. The style is both a great ice breaker and great first sip of the evening for the guests. It’s a gentler style compared to something like a 5:1 and, in my experience, is a refreshing and gentle way to convince a timid Martini drinker to partake. That said, it also has the bones and a unique enough profile to satiate a Martini aficionado.
Tristan’s Martini Spec
Ingredients
- 2 ounces London Dry gin
- 1 ounce Dolin Blanc Vermouth
- 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
- Garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into your choice of chilled glassware and garnish with a lemon twist.
Tristan’s Freezer Batch
Ingredients
- 17 ounces London Dry gin
- 8.5 ounces Dolin Blanc Vermouth
- 8-10 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
- 4 ounces filtered water
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a resealable bottle and place in the freezer at least 2-3 hours before needed.
Christine Kim
Beverage director, Service Bar, Washington, D.C.
@yummiwasabi
When I’m out and about, I love all variations of Martinis, whether they be dirty, wet, 50/50, or a classic 2:1 — but no more than 2. At home, I love to batch my Martinis and shove it in my freezer. Who doesn’t love a freezer Martini?
One of my go-to gins is Tanqueray, which was the first gin that got me into the category. And I prefer a blend of vermouths. At home, I pour the batched Martini over ice and have that account for the dilution. If I have lemons, I go for the peel, but my favorite Martini garnish is a pickled onion. A pile of them.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ ounces Tanqueray
- ½ ounce blend of Cocchi Americano + Carpano Dry Vermouth
- 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
- Garnish: lemon peel or pickled onion
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into your preferred Martini glass and garnish with either a lemon peel or pickled onion.
- If pre-batching for the freezer, add all ingredients to a resealable bottle and place in the freezer.
- Pour over ice once ready to serve.
Nicolas Torres
Owner & beverage director, True Laurel, San Francisco
@key2_thecity
I keep a freezer Martini and Manhattan on hand at all times at home. Along with my home bar, it’s sole purpose is for guest offerings — I never drink alone. While I free-pour my ratios right into the bottle, it’s based on a 50/50. I probably eyeball a ratio of about 55/45 gin to dry vermouth, and from there, I save about 10 percent of the space in the bottle for water dilution. I play around with the vermouth and gin by using whatever I have on hand, so the recipe changes and some are better than others, but it keeps things interesting. Then I use Meyer lemon oil to finish. In my opinion, the 50/50 is the Martini — it’s a beautiful blend of an aromatized ferment with an aromatized distillate.
Melissa Brooke
Beverage consultant, NYC
@divinespiritscocktails
Martinis are, of course, a continued hot topic in the beverage world. While most of us agree on what constitutes a classic Martini — rooted in centuries of cocktail history — the meaning is not always the same to the guest. Conversations around shaken versus stirred, gin versus vodka (if vodka is allowed at all), or whether an Espresso Martini is a “Martini” at all are still very much alive. And more often than not, the answer lies in what the person ordering the drink is actually looking for. A classically made Martini, built on a traditional spec, will always be my go-to.
In all honesty, I rarely, if ever, drink at home. At this point, I probably have more bottles of liquor in my NYC apartment than you’d find on the back bar of a small restaurant, but in true hospitality industry fashion, I love nothing more than making cocktails for my guests, and that includes friends and family. That brings me to my at-home Martini.
I’ve been on a bit of a pickling tear lately, so a Gibson has naturally become my go-to. I love cocktails that lean savory and carry a touch of salinity, and I especially enjoy pulling flavor cues from the spirit itself and reflecting them through the build. Recently, I’ve been gravitating toward Listening Rock Gin as my Martini base. I love supporting local makers, and the beautiful bottle and label make for a great conversation piece. While I often lean toward a true London Dry, the citrus peel and lemon balm in this gin are particularly fun to work with in this context, and are relevant and wonderfully bright in the winter. I pair it with a crisp, delicate dry vermouth like Dolin Dry de Chambéry, which complements the botanicals without competing or overpowering.
For my pickling liquid, I prefer to avoid heavy baking spices and instead keep it clean and savory with black and pink peppercorns, fennel, salt, coriander, and a touch of lemon balm to tie everything together. And, of course, vinegar, which I split between both white wine and Champagne vinegars and add a bit of sugar to.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ ounces Listening Rock Gin
- ½ ounce Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry
- 1 bar spoon pickling liquid
- Garnish: lemon twist (express and discard), cocktail onion
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into your preferred Martini glass.
- Express with a lemon twist before discarding and garnishing with a cocktail onion.
