The Perfect Dry Martini

Martinis are all about personal preference, and there are many camps—shaken or stirred, Vodka or Gin, dry or wet, and olive or lemon twist.

While we can’t give you the best Martini recipe—that is a matter of personal preference at the end of the day—we can give you our favorite, the one we can’t stop drinking now that we’ve tasted it.

The award goes to Laura Maddox, the Bar Manger of Small Victory, a Cocktail Bar here in Austin. The Martinis she makes are elegant and old-school, yet have a strange twist that keeps us coming back again and again. Because we love her Martinis so much, we asked her for some secrets, and of course, her recipe, too.

“I always make my Martinis with Gin,” she said, “Because it just makes for a more balanced drink—the botanicals really come out.”

Her Gin of choice is Reisetbauer Blue Gin, an Austrian Gin that she says “gives her everything she wants from a classic London Dry style, but just a little bit different.” She added that “It also turns a lovely, opalish color when you mix it.”

The Vermouth she prefers is Noilly Prat Extra Dry. “Extra dry is important,” she added “because this  is going to change how the Gin expresses itself in the drink.” Most importantly, Laura said you need to refrigerate your Vermouth, “otherwise it will go bad and not come out as well in the drink.”

Laura also adds a splash of Orange Bitters to highlight all of those botanical flavors—we thought it was unusual, but after trying it, we’re convinced. And her Martinis are “always stirred, never shaken,” she said.  “Well, unless you’re making a dirty martini.”

But perhaps where things got most interesting is her garnish. Laura adds both a lemon twist and an olive. “You get the light, refined side, and the savory side—it’s the best of both worlds.”