Top 3 Gin Martinis for Gin Lovers

According to Mark and Angela

We love gin. Period. And gin can be a very divisive topic, but we are sharing our top 3 gin martinis here with recipes and recommendations so you can become a gin-lover as well!

The Martini

The martini is now so popular that almost everyone has one they like. Why? We think it’s because the definition has become so broad that you could make one out of almost anything and just put it in the classic glass and call it some sort of martini!  We haven’t run across a martini made of dirt, but it wouldn’t surprise us.  Also, ew.... and don't.

But, so what if people call everything under the sun that comes in a martini glass a martini? No big deal to us, we'll still drink them and feel fancy AF.  We love tradition and equally love breaking tradition.  So there.  If you are hung up on tradition and “one of those people,” we can’t fix you.  You need further help beyond this post. 

What type of martini is the best?

Reality is that this drink is about personal preference and, as a foodie (and drinkie) we want to share what we like.  Also, you should understand that we will go to great lengths to just figure out what our favorite gin, hamburger, whisky, mustard, etc. is! If our "highly educated" taste-tests help anyone, then that’s all that matters. And we do blind taste tests often on our Instagram stories, if you are even interested at all.

OK…let’s be real, we are pretty happy about our choices so if it doesn’t help you, then we really won’t be losing sleep over it…just being real.  So, if  your feeling(s) aren’t hurt yet, and you want to try some stuff, then we can just get to the point. 

Gin vs Vodka Martinis

Martinis are amazing. We aren’t going to write a history lesson here, look it up if you want that. BUT, the base alcohol is gin. Done cringing? OK, it can be vodka.  If you like chocolatetinis or cosmopolitans or appletinis, then you’ve probably had those made with vodka. IF you want to share an ultra-dry vodka martini with us to showcase an amazing vodka, we are all about that. We have had some amazing vodkas. It’s just that gin has many more ingredients and the nuances are less subtle.

Plus we love gin…for those of you that “hate” gin, either try and open your mind a bit or just replace the gin with vodka. If you “hate” gin because you hurled on “gin n’ juice” in college, then you’ll just have to gradually get over your demons and eventually get your mind on your money...and your money on your mind.

OK, enough on the gin vs. vodka thing.  We are sharing our favorite GIN martinis and none happen to have vodka in them. 

The first one doesn’t technically count, as it isn’t our “favorite” but it is the basis for all martinis and we had to start somewhere.  Let’s call it basic or classic… or both... or Patient Zero.

Patient Zero:  Classic ("Basic") Gin Martini

A class gin martini is served up in a martini glass.  This can be shaken or stirred… it’s about preference.  If you’re really into the “classical” part of it, a gin martini should be stirred with the vermouth in a chilled glass and a vodka martini should be shaken with the vermouth in the shaker.

But it’s about taste, so if you really want to be traditional and follow all the rules of tradition, go for it! All power to you. But we do what we want, and honestly, you should too.

So…without further ado (never written that before, actually) here are our favorite martini recipes.

#1 Mark’s Dry Gin Martini

Served up in a martini glass.  Just a simple take from the classic and omitting the vermouth.  That’s how I (Mark) prefer it… but with 4 olives.  Follow the recipe for Patient Zero and completely omit the vermouth. 

And if you are ordering this at a bar, simply ask for an "Bone Dry Gin Martini." If the bartender knows what they are doing, you will get the martini just like this one without vermouth.

What gin should I use?

What gin should I use in this Dry Gin Martini? Ah...that is the question.  For this simple gin-highlighting drink, my faves at this time are:

• Citadelle (France)
• Beefeater (England)
• Hendrick's (Scotland)

#2 Angela’s Dirty Gin Martini

Served up in a martini glass. Another simple take from the classic. Exactly how Angela prefers it… but with three olives, a little less vermouth and the dirty part… olive juice.  SMH. In my humble opinion, olive juice has no place in a martini, but Angela feels otherwise and will tell you alllllll about it.

What gin should I use in a dirty martini?

Here are Angela's preferred gins for a dirty martini. Apparently, she has a thing for Scotts... or maybe just Gins from Scotland:

• Hendrick’s (Scotland)
• The Botanist (Scotland)

#3 Pretty in Pink Gin Martini

Served up in a martini glass.  So this is a little different than the previous recipes and really, really good – especially in the summer... or winter, fall and spring. But it is beautiful and damn good!

This martini does rely on a specific type of gin – pink gin.  The more common and easy to find brands of pink gin are by Beefeater and Gordon’s.  It’s gin with some notes of strawberry (for Beefeater) or strawberry and raspberry (for Gordon’s).

I’m not sure if pink gin will catch on and there will be a bunch of pink gins any time soon, but it is damn good enough for us! You should grab a bottle and mess with it no matter what. It’s a beautiful martini, tastes great, and is pretty versatile (think Gin & Tonic or mixing with Chambord). If it sucked it wouldn’t be here in this blog post... just saying:

Who makes Pink Gin?

• Beefeater Pink (England)

• Gordon’s Pink Gin (England)

Bonus: Mark’s Bone-Dry Gin Martini on the Rocks

Haha…laugh if you want, Texas is hot in the summer.  And an “up” martini isn’t as portable as this damn Textini. I'm claiming I created this term right now! Let's copyright that!

This is served in a lowball glass so the chances of it breaking go way down… just sayin’.  Yes, there’s a little redneck going on here, so if you want to say a couple of gin shots on the rocks with olives…fair enough.

Again, Bone Dry = NO VERMOUTH. So you can order it that way at any bar and few will judge you for drinking straight alcohol over ice since you sound like you know what you are talking about. But the gin choice is the key! And this also takes about 1 minute to make, which is just a little more than a tequila shot or opening a Shiner or Celis once you’ve found out where your wife hid them in the house. 

Anyway, if you like gin and know what your favorite is, then this is a go-to for any occasion if you’re not wearing a bowtie or trying to be fancy.

For the Bone Dry Gin Martini On the Rocks, fill a glass with ice, pour 3 oz of gin over the ice and add olives. That's it!

Looking for more gin cocktails?

If you love gin as much as we do, check out some of our other popular gin drinks below:

• Raspberry Lychee Gin Spritz
• Blood Orange and Pink Gin Sparkler
• Blue Grotto Empress Gin Martini
• Empress Maid of Honor
• Passion Fruit Cocktails
• Pear Sage Peppercorn Martini
• Aperol and Gin Cocktail

We hope you give our top 3 gin martinis a try! If you do, leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!