“Too many people say too many things, and I wish they’d stop,” says actor Stanley Tucci about the origins of the martini. “The only thing that matters is that the martini exists.” Here Tucci shares his recipe for his ideal martini, the way he’s been drinking it for ages: gin or vodka (each has its time and place) with just a whiff of vermouth, stirred not shaken. It’s “the quintessence of elegance that we all aspire to and believe we acquire when we drink one.”
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What you’ll need
Cocktail Mixing Glass
$40 $18 At AmazonCocktail Jigger
$6 At AmazonBar Spoon
$10 At AmazonHawthorne Strainer
$7 At AmazonVegetable Peeler
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes 1
½
2–3
Preparation
Fill a glass beaker or cocktail shaker with ice and pour in vermouth. Stir 15 seconds, then let sit 30 seconds. Stir again, then strain out and discard vermouth. Pour gin into beaker and stir 30 seconds. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir again 30 seconds. Let sit another 30 seconds, then stir again quickly. Strain cocktail into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or olives. Drink it. Become a new person.
How would you rate Stanley Tucci’s Martini?
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Reviews (27)
Back to TopI’m a martini person and I always felt like there was something missing in my shaken martinis. I also assumed more vermouth was better since I do like it on its own. You proved me wrong Mr. Tucci
Cody
Abilene Texas
6/23/2022
The classic in our household: 3 ozs Bombay Sapphire Gin, 1/2 ozs Noilly Prat, couple of Castelvetrano olives. Nicely chilled. Some guests request vodka...but not the same. I agree that Noilly Prat, while good, has changed, and not for the better. Looking for a replacement
Steve Paul
5/21/2022
One of my favorite things about the martini is the endless discourse around its origins, its base spirit, and its recipe. Naturally, mine is correct and all others, including and especially Mr. Tucci's, need not apply. First things first: vodka in a martini is an absolute abomination. Ingredients: 2.5 oz Plymouth Gin, 0.5 oz Lo-Fi Aperitifs Dry Vermouth, castlevetrano olives. Preparation: fill mixing glass at least half way with ice, add liquid ingredients, stir to mix for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, add olive on toothpick, enjoy in a spirit of superiority directed to all other (lesser) martinis.
Patrick
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2022
One of my favorite things about the martini is the endless discourse around its origins, its base spirit, and its recipe. Naturally, mine is correct and all others, including and especially Mr. Tucci's, need not apply. First things first: vodka in a martini is an absolute abomination. Ingredients: 2.5 oz Plymouth Gin, 0.5 oz Lo-Fi Aperitifs Dry Vermouth, castlevetrano olives. Preparation: fill mixing glass at least half way with ice, add liquid ingredients, stir to mix for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, add olive on toothpick, enjoy in a spirit of superiority directed to all other (lesser) martinis.
Patrick
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2022
I love the humor and in his book as well. And, I love martinis. Bombay Safire gin or, better yet, Kirkland gin (which is very good in it’s balance of botanicals). But the vermouth is key: Dolin Blanco vermouth (1/4 to 1/2 oz.) and 3 oz. gin. 100 stirs and let stand 15 seconds. Into a chilled martini glass with 2 Castelvetrano olives. Ahhhh.
Tom B
Vermont
2/28/2022
Here's the thing, you can technically publish a recipe for spaghetti marinara that calls for, say, microwaving the noodles until mushy before adding ketchup, and you can totally accuse people of being snobs when they insist that this is not a good spaghetti marinara recipe. Individuals are entitled to individual opinions. But large food and drink publishers, I hope, would be held to a higher standard. This recipe is to a martini what mushy microwaved ketchup is to spaghetti marinara. Literally nothing about this makes sense and it's objectively a terrible recipe. It is, though, a very good argument for Stanley Tucci staying in his lane.
Brett
Portland, OR
2/24/2022
Works for me! The key is "high-quality gin r vodka"!
verdeo
Milwaukee, WI
2/1/2022
Classic! Perfect. Orange bitters added to gin version
JLS from Ghent
Ghent ny
1/16/2022
lol you people are dorks it's just a drink you don't have to genuflect
Bryan
1/9/2022
A Martini without vermouth is just straight gin. A ratio of 4 gin to 1 dry vermouth, stir 60 seconds- no more, no less. This is what they teach in the best bartender schools. Modify to your personal preference, but don’t call it a Martini.
Chuck Scott
New Orleans, LA
1/8/2022
7:1 for the perfect martini. Everything cold, including the ice!!
Dave Parker
Elk Grove CA
1/1/2022
Way too dry. I much prefer the old fashioned type of martini that has a 3:1 gin:vermouth proportions.
CGinNoCO
Loveland, CO
1/1/2022
I agree with those who swirl very cold dry vermouth of good quality in a very cold glass and discard the rest of the vermouth, then add 3 ounces of very cold gin from my freezer. I love Japanese Roku gin! Very elegant and very tasty. Lemon twist, no olives. Ahhhh!
Mary G
Columbus, OH
12/1/2021
Simon from Yorkshire: No need to be doctrinaire. York Gin London Dry and Noilly Prat are your preferences, not necessarily "the best" or "a must." York is a recent invention, and Noilly has changed its formula over the years, not always for the better. If that's what you prefer, fine. Others are free to disagree.
Anonymous
USA
12/1/2021
Forget the ice, it just waters the drink down. Keep the vodka/ gin always in the freezer and you don't even need to chill the vermouth. If you like it really dry swirl the vermouth round the glass and the pour it out before adding the spirit. For this recipe I prefer a twist. For baristas' more ice-watery versions an olive is better.
Andrew Page
Buenos Aires
11/23/2021