Unfortunately, you will have to part with a fair sum of money to get rolling. This is, in my opinion, a worthy investment. To start with, buy sample bottles of liqueurs such as Amaretto and Cointreau. A big bottle will last a long time, and if you decide that you don't like it, your stuck. You will need lots of gin and/or vodka. It is worth the extra couple of dollars to buy the better vodkas and gins. Get a small bottle of vermouth. Just like wine, vermouth quickly spoils once it has been opened. I would not recommend keeping an open bottle of vermouth for more than a few months. Get a nice shaker (not an aluminum one!). Try and find one that you can also stir drinks in. A good shaker will quickly become a lifelong friend. Buy a Martini glass or two. You can drink Martinis out of a wine glass or a tumbler, but I would very strongly recommend against it! If you are lucky, many of the garnishes and mixes that you will need will already be in your fridge. Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Olives etc. are all needed at one time or another. Buy these as you need them

If you have tried a few Martinis at the bar, and you want to try making some yourself, then by all means, go for it! You only live once (unless you are a Buddhist).


The Basics
1. Prechill gin, shaker, and glasses in freezer, but vermouth should be chilled in the fridge.
2. Pour gin into shaker of cracked, not pulverized, ice.
3. Allow gin to become familiar with ice.
4. Pour vermouth.
5. Shake until shaker is frosted.
6. You may choose to stir rather than shake your drink, but please do not tell me about it.
7. Casually bring in an olive. Some purists prefer un-pimentoed olives.

The tools
You may have a home bar fully stocked and accessorized, or merely an empty counter with makeshift tools you find about the house. Either way there are a few necessities and many luxuries to have on hand when you shake up a fine Martini.
1 2 oz. shot glass;
1 long-handled jigger with 1/2 oz. on one side and 1 1/2 oz. on the other;
1 long-handled bar spoon for stirring;
1 coil-rimmed strainer for pouring ice-cold drinks from the shaker into the glass.
2 shakers with optional screw tops to allow for shaking or stirring -
one metal (stays cold longer) and one glass (much more suave).
A few things it is always nice to have on hand, but by no means necessary for mixing a chill Martini include:
tongs for ice;
a nice paring knife for twist of lemon peel;
olive grabber;
set of small teaspoons;
eyedropper (or atomizer), so as not to overdue the vermouth.

Chill
Be cold. Be very, very cold. Your guests will thank you for it. They will appreciate the touch, as even in winter, ice can make or break a party. Be sure to have lots on hand.. If your water is especially hard, cloudy, or chlorinated, consider buying bottled water to make ice out of. Or get store bought cracked ice. Ice trays that make numerous small cubes are preferred than the older trays that make 8 to 12 great big ice cubes. Cracked ice is best for stirring a really cold Martini. If you have no ice crusher, toss the ice in a plastic bag, cover with a dishcloth, or towel and hammer away, but not for too long; just until you've broken up most of the bigger cubes.

Mixing the perfect mix
Mixing is like playing the piano You can learn the basics - or pour a jigger, but it is difficult, often difficult, to reach the level of a pro. Just as a pianist can explain the different keys, and notes in order to play, so can you learn tips and hints on how to mix up a dream cocktail. Yet, ultimately perfecting it is entirely in your hands.

Keep gin in the freezer. Anything with more than about 30% alcohol (60 proof) will not freeze, but will maintain a viscous, ice-cold consistency. Vermouth should be kept in the refrigerator as it will lose its flavour within the week otherwise Ice should be cracked, not crushed, and there should be lots of it. I strongly believe that you can never use too much ice when mixing a good Martini.

Use a 2 oz bar glass if you have one (I even chill my shot glass). Remember that most bar glasses are imprecise. Find one that is close to exact, and try to use it every time for consistency sake. Trust the glass, or the jigger, not your eye.

Use a different bar glass for each ingredient, or rinse out the one you are using between ingredients.

The shaker, metal or glass, should be kept in the freezer until needed.
Gin should be poured first and so cold it steams as it drains through the ice.
All other ingredients should be poured starting with the one most called for (i.e. 1 oz. poured before 1/2 oz.)

Stirring is always preferable to shaking. More Martinis are shaken than stirred, thanks to James Bond, bruising the gin and changing the flavor of the drink. Unless a recipe calls for vigorous shaking, use a long handled bar spoon and give the ingredients a good stir, letting it all blend with each other so that you can almost see how they fit together. For proper dilution, stir each Martini about 20 times. While, you should avoid it, you can stir several Martinis into a mix at once.
Now, if you must shake, shake right. Don't just rock the shaker back and forth a few times, put some muscle into it. Shaking is supposed to be for vigorous blending, so hold that shaker and shake it diagonally with a good steady rhythm. Shake only one drink at a time.
Use a good strainer and pour at once into a pre-chilled cocktail glass.
Add your desired garnish, olive, onion, lemon twist.

Glassware
Glassware is the vessel that will make or break the delivery. How many glasses you should have depends on the size of your pad, and how many drinkers you entertain. No point in stocking up on tons of glasses and stemware that will never be used. It is just as important to always have enough for the surprise extra guest who tags along with your invited friends. Martinis, unless they're on the rocks, are always served in cocktail glasses -- short or tall doesn't matter. It is a good idea to keep several chilled in the freezer at all times. There's no telling when an uninvited guest would be impressed by your stunning hospitality and delighted with an ice-cold Martini.

Some Tips for Making the perfect Martini
Send us your martini recipe, or tips.