Dry Martini Recipe (Ratio 3:1)

This week I received a sample of the new white vermouth by Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta, a new product from this winery located in La Rioja which have been producing vermouth since 1936 and decided to introduce a white version this year, after 4 years developing the drink. I couldn’t think of any better match than testing the new vermouth on a classic Dry Martini cocktail, which in my eyes signifies everything that Gin or Vermouth are about; elegant, savoury, boozy and perfect to start or end a meal. Lacuesta’s vermut blanco is prepared with more than 20 plants and aromatic herbs, it has a pale yellow colour with subtle aromas of camomile, mint and sweet vanilla. On the palate, the vermouth starts soft with notes of liquorice, cinnamon and ginger until it reaches its aromatic expression with light bitterness. I do think that this vermouth is more of a bianco style rather than a dry vermouth, so I do believe it is not the correct partner to make this classic cocktail, however the end result did surprise me, due to balance style the drink offered. Mascaro Gin 9 has a double distillation process in copper stills. The star ingredient in Gin 9 is wild juniper from the Penedes area of Sierra Llacuna which provides Gin 9 with its distinctive flavour, aroma and elegant style. This recipe uses a 3:1 ratio of gin versus vermouth or what is known in the industry as a ‘wet martini’. The less vermouth added to the drink, the dryer the martini becomes, the more vermouth added to the drink, the wetter the martini becomes.