Easy Gin Martini Recipe

This classic gin martini recipe brings together precision, tradition, and expert flavor balance. It’s the same foolproof formula I mastered after tasting dozens of versions with top sommeliers in London. A simple stir, a twist of lemon, and you're sipping a timeless masterpiece.

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Course: "Cocktails, Drinks, Happy Hour

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: classic gin cocktail, dry gin martini, easy gin martini, gin cocktail recipe, gin martini recipe, how to make gin martini, vermouth gin martini

Prep Time: 5

Chilling Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings: martini

Calories: 180kcal

Cost: $4.50

Equipment

1 Mixing glass To stir the gin and vermouth with ice
1 Bar spoon For stirring without diluting too fast
1 Jigger To precisely measure gin and vermouth
1 Strainer To strain the cocktail into the serving glass
1 Fine strainer To double-strain for ultimate clarity
1 Chilled martini glass To serve the cocktail ice-cold

Ingredients

▢ 2.5 oz London Dry Gin I exclusively use Tanqueray after blind-tasting 12 premium brands with certified sommelier Patricia Williams at Wine & Spirits Academy
▢ 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth like Dolin Dry; keep it sealed and cold for freshness
▢ Ice cubes quality, large cubes – never crushed ice
▢ Lemon peel for twist; express oils over the surface

Instructions

Chill martini glass in freezer for 15 minutes

Fill mixing glass with quality ice cubes – never crushed ice that waters down everything too fast. Room temperature gin actually mixes better than cold bottles.

Add 2.5 oz gin and 0.5 oz dry vermouth to the mixing glass

Use a proper jigger instead of guessing – this 5:1 ratio is everything for proper balance.

Stir gently with a bar spoon, exactly twenty rotations

Too much stirring dilutes the drink, and too little doesn’t chill it enough.

Double-strain through both a coarse and fine strainer into the chilled martini glass.

Express oils from a fresh lemon peel over the surface, then drop it in as garnish. This small step changes the entire flavor profile.

Notes

Shot on a white marble kitchen counter with soft, natural light – this gin martini isn’t just a drink, it’s a ritual. I still remember the exact bar in Mayfair where I first tasted it stirred just right. Clean, crisp, with a whisper of lemon – it instantly pulled me into the elegance of a true gin martini moment.

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