By Rebekah Peppler
- Rating
- 4(176)
- Notes
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Martinis are bound to kick up strong opinions that tend to intensify as more martinis are consumed. Gin versus vodka. Shaken versus stirred. Dirty? How dirty? Olives, lemon twist or both? This batched recipe makes the biggest decisions for you: Gin — the spirit of choice — is paired with vermouth in equal measure, a ratio that means you and your guests can and should pour freely. From there, the drinker has full control to dirty and garnish to their heart’s content.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 (3¾-ounce) drinks
- 9ounces dry gin
- 9ounces dry vermouth
- 4½ounces filtered water
- Lemon twists, green olives, olive brine, co*cktail onions and orange bitters, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
147 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 3 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
Combine the gin, vermouth and water in a spouted measuring cup or pitcher, or a medium bowl. Pour the co*cktail blend, using a funnel if needed, into a 750-milliliter bottle; seal, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks. (You can also freeze the 50/50 martini for several hours before serving.)
Step
2
To serve, pour 3¾ ounces into a coupe glass and serve immediately with assorted garnishes.
Ratings
4
out of 5
176
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Cooking Notes
Diana M.
I see this and think of my dad - who died in 2008 at the age of 84. He loved a 50/50 martini and always had to be clear in his instructions to bartenders. Just this afternoon, as I was picking up the last of the things for Thanksgiving, I thought about making martinis tomorrow to remember him with. Fair warning, a 50/50 martini is an acquired taste so use good gin and good vermouth - there is no hiding bad ingredients in this co*cktail.
Rockaway Pete
Use good gin and good vermouth ALWAYS. I have been liking Dolin and The Botanist lately, but good ingredients are a must for all martinis. Otherwise, why drink them?
jha
Personally, prefer 3:1 ratio of gin to vermouth. Serve very well chilled!
S.
50/50 martinis are a hard sell for true martini lovers. My sister in law mixed up a batch like this one Christmas. She did it in my honor, knowing it to be my libation of choice. Well, at first sip, everyone stared at her, bewildered. What the heck is THIS? She had neither tasted nor concocted a martini before. No one took another sip. My brother saved the day by retrieving the glasses and announcing, "Alrighty then, who wants brandy?" All hands flew up in the air! Moral? Careful with this drink
Deanu
The key to a great martini is fresh vermouth. Keep vermouth in the refrigerator after opening. Discard after 6-8 weeks. You wouldn't drink wine from an open bottle that has been on the top shelf of a busy, hot bar. Neither would should you use old, spoiled vermouth that has been stored that way.
Golden Rose
I’m a dry martini drinker myself. But if you go for a 50/50, you have to use fresh vermouth. At homes and in bars, vermouth often sits open for a long time and old vermouth can ruin a drink like this.
Naynay
Definitely do not freeze this. The alcohol content is too low and you’ll end up with a gin/vermouth slushie. As nice as that might sound, it’s pretty unpleasant. If you want an easy freezer martini, do 500ml gin, 125ml dry vermouth, 125ml water. You’ll get a delicious dry martini, with a unique viscosity that you can store and pour at your leisure.
Jerry
I can’t imagine using 50-50 in my martinis. We drink very good gin and use either one drop or no drops in our martinis.
Christopher Lehfeldt
Filtered water? How to get it? Pour tap water through a coffee filter?
HK
They mean water from a Brita pitcher or some other kind of under-the-sink filter system. Most of us (at least in cities) these days use water filters for drinking water because it tastes better.
Deanu
The key to a great martini is fresh vermouth. Keep vermouth in the refrigerator after opening. Discard after 6-8 weeks. You wouldn't drink wine from an open bottle that has been on the top shelf of a busy, hot bar. Neither would should you use old, spoiled vermouth that has been stored that way.
C from Colorado
Don't drink gin. I read somewhere that it does bad things to your hormones and I don't need that. Vodka, on the other hand, is fine! A good vodka and a great vermouth are required for any martini.
Ian
The good thing about martini ratios is they're all good in their own way. We are currently doing these, but with a little Maldon salt in the bottom of the coupe that is splashed with grapefruit bitters. This is sort of a mock Gibson. Also, orange zest expression.
Sharon
I loved this co*cktail! Especially the convenience. I added @ 1T. olive juice to my co*cktail.
Juliet Jones
This was always my parents' favorite drink, in England, in the 60s and 70s. They, and all their friends, called it "Gin and French" because they used Noilly Prat dry vermouth.
Christopher
Only semi-related but have you heard of a Sicilian a martini? Supposedly it was Sinatra's drink of choice. If I remember correctly I think it was gin, both dry and sweet removed, shaking in poured and then a splash of scotch on top. Garnished with an olive and a lemon twist. Talk about an acquired taste. Personally I have to drink vodka martinis which I do regularly, gin freezes my brain functioning and not in a cold way.
Lynn
I adore the taste of gin, but it does not adore me, thus I drink vodka martinis, and with about a 40% addition of dry vermouth. I read once in a long article about Julia Child after her death that this was also how she drank her martinis, the better to 'enjoy the little darlings' was I believe was how she put it.
S.
50/50 martinis are a hard sell for true martini lovers. My sister in law mixed up a batch like this one Christmas. She did it in my honor, knowing it to be my libation of choice. Well, at first sip, everyone stared at her, bewildered. What the heck is THIS? She had neither tasted nor concocted a martini before. No one took another sip. My brother saved the day by retrieving the glasses and announcing, "Alrighty then, who wants brandy?" All hands flew up in the air! Moral? Careful with this drink
jha
Personally, prefer 3:1 ratio of gin to vermouth. Serve very well chilled!
Rockaway Pete
Use good gin and good vermouth ALWAYS. I have been liking Dolin and The Botanist lately, but good ingredients are a must for all martinis. Otherwise, why drink them?
Diana M.
I see this and think of my dad - who died in 2008 at the age of 84. He loved a 50/50 martini and always had to be clear in his instructions to bartenders. Just this afternoon, as I was picking up the last of the things for Thanksgiving, I thought about making martinis tomorrow to remember him with. Fair warning, a 50/50 martini is an acquired taste so use good gin and good vermouth - there is no hiding bad ingredients in this co*cktail.
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