This ultimate guide to the many types of martinis is essential for anyone who wants to order or mix one with confidence. There are so many ways to enjoy a martini — dry, dirty, shaken, stirred — each with its own unique twist. Try them all, find your favorite and, most of all, learn the lingo so you sound like a pro when you talk to the bartender.
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The ultimate guide to every type of martini
We’ve all heard the line,“Shaken, not stirred,” when it comes to martinis. To that, I say, “That’s just one way to order a martini, James Bond.”
This entire blog post is dedicated to this quintessential cocktail made with vermouth and either gin or vodka — and all the ways you can order one and every type of martini beyond the traditional. Like secret agent work, there’s a secret code to ordering martinis that unlocks dozens of different flavors, temperatures and variations.
Once you know the lingo, you can order one at a bar just how you like it. Even though he ordered them wrong (yes, really, I’ll explain), I’m sure Agent 007 would approve of you learning this drink inside-and-out and upside-down. This martini guide will set you (both) straight!
What is a martini?
The classic martini is made with 1 ounce dry vermouth, 2 ounces gin, maybe a dash or two of orange bitters * and a twist of lemon peel or an olive garnish in a cocktail glass. The gin is often swapped for vodka.
All those drinks your favorite restaurant sells on martini night? Yeah, those aren’t technically a type of martini. Just sweet drinks served in martini glasses *! (Hey, I’m guilty of enjoying dessert martinis too. Check out this peppermint white chocolate martini for proof.)
favorite martini glasses
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Martini ingredients
If you are making the classic type of martini, you’re going to need two spirits and, if you like them, a couple of extras:
- Gin: Gin is a distilled spirit flavored with juniper berries and various botanicals, giving it a crisp, herbal and floral taste. (Vodka can be used instead.)
- Dry vermouth: Dry vermouth is a light, aromatic fortified wine infused with herbs and botanicals.
- Bitters: Optionally, a few drops of herbal bitters gives an extra, subtle layer of flavor.
- Garnishes: You can use a lemon twist, olives or pickled onions.
storing vermouth
An opened bottle of vermouth should be stored in the fridge. It will taste best if enjoyed within a month, but will still taste okay for up to two months. After that, it’s time to toss it and open a new bottle of vermouth.
Martini qualities
When you’re ordering a martini, there are about as many modifications as you can make to a Starbucks coffee drink. Every type of martini begins with the same simple base recipe, but it’s really fun to play with ratios and mix-ins — and that’s why bartenders love to make them. (That, and there are only a few ingredients!) Here are the main qualities you can switch up:
- Dryness: There are tons of ratios you can try that change the wetness and dryness. A martini is considered dry when it contains little to no vermouth, typically a ratio of 5:1 or higher (gin or vodka to vermouth).
- Preparation: Whether the martini is stirred, shaken or over-shaken.
- Temperature: Martinis can be served cold or room temperature.
- Flavor & flourishes: You can mix in olive juice to make a dirty martini, or use different garnishes to incorporate other flavors.
Within each of these categories are even more nuances to perfect your perfect martini. Let’s get into them.
Basic types of martinis
You might be tempted to ask for “a martini, please” at the bar, but there’s a lot more to it than that. There are a ton of ways to order a martini at a bar. Experiment to find your favorite type of martini and sound like an expert when you talk to the bartender.
Classic martini
3 ounces gin + 1 ounce dry vermouth
The classic gin martini is made with the traditional 3:1 ratio of gin to dry vermouth, a dash or two of orange bitters * and either an olive or lemon twist garnish in a cocktail glass. It’s stirred with ice and served straight up (no ice) in a martini glass *.
If you ask for a martini without any modifications, this is what you’re going to get. (Unless your bartender has an opinion, and that’s very likely.) There is nothing wrong with the classic, though, if that’s how you like them!
for the martini newbie
I recommend ordering (or making) a martini with the classic 3:1 ratio, then trying other variations to see what you like.
Vodka martini
3 ounces vodka + 1 ounce dry vermouth
A martini can easily be made with vodka. If you prefer the crisp flavor of vodka over the herbalness and bitterness of gin, you’ll love the vodka martini.
Dry martini
3⅓ ounce gin + ⅔ ounce dry vermouth
The less vermouth used in the cocktail, the drier it is. This is usually referred to as a dry martini. If you order a very dry martini, even less vermouth is used. Bone dry means the cocktail has a vermouth rinse: A little bit of vermouth is just lightly sloshed around the glass, then dumped out, instead of actually getting mixed in.
Wet martini
2⅔ ounces gin + 1⅓ ounce dry vermouth
Quite contrary, use more dry vermouth to make a wet martini. It typically has a 3:1 or 2:1 ratio of gin (or vodka) to vermouth, resulting in more vermouth than a dry martini but still less than a 50/50 martini.
50/50 martini
2 ounces gin + 2 ounces dry vermouth
The 50/50 martini is neither dry nor wet — it’s both! You’ll use a 1:1 ratio, AKA equal parts dry vermouth and gin, so you’ll want to use 2 ounces of each.
Perfect martini
3 ounces gin + ½ ounce dry vermouth + ½ ounce sweet vermouth
A perfect martini has equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, plus gin of course. This is a 4:1:1 ratio. Sweet vermouth is reddish in color, so it turns the martini a light brown color and adds a slightly sweet, spiced taste. It helps to balance the dryness of gin with its notes of vanilla, caramel and warm botanicals.
Upside-down martini
3 ounces dry vermouth + 1 ounce gin
Also called a reverse martini, this version utilizes more vermouth than gin. The 3:1 ratio works, but in reverse. You’d use 3 ounces dry vermouth and 1 ounce gin (or vodka).
Desert martini
4 ounces gin + 0 ounces dry vermouth
Not to be confused with a dessert martini, the desert martini was Winston Churchill’s favorite, and it is made without any vermouth at all.
Dirty martini
2 ounces gin + 1 ounce dry vermouth + ½ ounce olive brine
Call me weird but this is my absolute favorite type of martini: The dirty martini has a splash of olive brine added to the drink and is garnished with one or two green olives. Order it very dirty and you’ll get extra olive brine and extra olives. The briny flavors work well in other recipes too, like this dirty martini salad dressing.
Ordering a martini
Now that you have the basics down as far as ratios are concerned, you can move on to preparation. Shaking and stirring are how you combine the ingredients, yes, but it’s also how you adjust the temperature of the drink. Some people like their martinis ice cold, while others like them room temperature.
Drinks are usually shaken or stirred with ice, chilling the ingredients before they reach the glass. Additionally, many martinis are served in chilled cocktail glasses, which eliminates the need for ice in the glass itself, resulting in a gorgeous, sophisticated drink.
favorite martini glasses
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Stirred
Fun fact: Stirring is the proper way to prepare a martini, not shaking! You can usually tell the expertise of a bartender by whether they shake or stir your martini, or at least, whether or not they like martinis!
Stirred is considered to be the best because it’s gentler, while shaking over-mixes the ingredients quickly, diluting the ice and watering down the martini. After all that work on nailing the proper ratio, you definitely don’t want to do that!
To stir, add the ingredients to a mixing glass * with a few ice cubes, then stir with a bar spoon * and strain into a cocktail glass.
Shaken
Shaken means the martini was prepared in a cocktail shaker * filled with ice, shaken vigorously, then strained into a cocktail glass. Even though James Bond ordered his martinis this way, it’s technically wrong. However, some people prefer a weaker drink, so shaking is fine if that’s how you like it. You do you!
Bruised
A bruised martini is the result of shaking the martini so vigorously that teeny tiny ice chips float on top of the drink. Shaking the ice also dilutes the mixture just a bit, so this is great for anyone who finds martinis a bit strong or wants to be sure they are really, really cold.
Straight up
Martinis served straight up are served without ice. They can be prepared by either shaking or stirring with ice and straining into a chilled cocktail glass without ice. You don’t usually have to ask for your martini straight up, as this is how martinis are traditionally served.
Neat
In a martini served neat, no ice is used whether it’s shaken or stirred. This one is usually served close to room temperature. (But remember: Open bottles of vermouth should be stored in the fridge.)
On the rocks
Shaken or stirred, a martini on the rocks is served poured over ice into a rocks glass. As the ice melts, it will dilute the potency of the cocktail. These are great for people who like a less strong drink or super cold ones!
Garnishes
The martini is a sophisticated drink, and sophisticated drinks have garnishes! The most traditional are olives and lemon zest, but I’ve seen other pickled veggies before too.
Olives
Green olives are iconic for martinis. My absolute favorite are Castelvetrano olives *, as they are soft and buttery. My homemade blue-cheese olives are also clutch.
favorite olives
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Lemon twist
This one will come with a twist of thinly-sliced lemon peel called a lemon twist. Be sure to specify “with a twist” if you’d prefer not to get a skewer with an olive on it.
Other garnishes
You can substitute pickle slices or cornichons for the olives and use a splash of pickle juice instead of olive brine to make a pickle martini. You can also use pickled pearl onions called cocktail onions to garnish your martini. But if you do, it’s called a Gibson! Other pickled veggies like pickled peppers are a fun touch, too.
Classic martini variations
As with all classic cocktails, there are a few variations that turn into totally different drinks.
Martinez
The Martinez is the type of martini that inspired them all. Make one with 2 ounces gin + ¾ ounce sweet vermouth + ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur. Finish it off with a dash of aromatic bitters and a lemon twist for garnish.
Gibson
Garnish the martini with a cocktail onion and it becomes a Gibson martini. It is traditionally made with Plymouth gin.
Marguerite
Equal parts gin and dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters, the Marguerite is served with a lemon twist for garnish.
Vesper
Sometimes called a James Bond Martini, the classic Vesper martini is shaken with 3 ounces gin, 1 ounce of vodka and ¼ ounce Lillet Blanc and garnished with a thin slice of lemon peel. It was the martini that Agent 007 ordered in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel, Casino Royale.
Rob Roy
More of a cousin to the Manhattan than the Martini, the Rob Roy is worth a mention for whiskey drinkers who’d like to foray into martinis — or martini drinkers who’d like to try whiskey.
Make a Rob Roy with 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1½ ounces Scotch whisky and a dash of Angostura bitters *, served straight up or mixed in a rocks glass *, with a garnish of a cocktail cherry or a lemon twist.
Modern martini variations
The classic is a classic, but bartenders love to riff on the martini! There are tons of ways you can make this drink your own.
Pickle martini
If you like dirty martinis and pickles, you’ll love the pickle martini. Garnish it with cornichons and fresh dill for a gorgeous touch.
Cucumber martini
This cucumber martini is also similar to a dirty martini and the pickle martini, only made with the juice of fresh cucumbers. It’s garnished with cucumbers to boot.
Mexican martini
The Mexican martini is another spin on the classic martini, this time for tequila drinkers. Made with tequila and lime juice, plus triple sec, olives and vermouth, it’s almost like a cross between a martini and a lime margarita.
French martini
A fruity cocktail, the French Martini is a mixture of vodka, pineapple juice and crème de cassis, which is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants. Which brings me to… dessert martinis.
Dessert martinis
Sweet martinis, or dessert martinis, aren’t called martinis, they really a type of martini in the traditional sense. While they usually contain vodka or flavored vodka, they don’t often have gin or vermouth. They also almost always have a sweet simple syrup or liqueur in the mix. Dessert martinis come in just about any flavor you can imagine — they can be fruity, citrus, herbal, chocolatey and candy-like.
Classic dessert martinis
Just as there are classic martinis, there are popular dessert martinis you might already know by name.
- You’ve probably heard of the 1990s favorite appletini, a bright green, apple martini with a sweet-and-sour punch from apple schnapps.
- Likewise, there’s Carrie Bradshaw’s favorite Cosmopolitan, which is essentially a martini.
- There’s also the lemon drop martini, with vodka, simple syrup. and lemon juice, and tastes like lemon candy.
- And there’s the ever popular espresso martini made with fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, simple syrup and vodka.
Fruity martinis
You can make fruit-flavored martinis in all kinds of flavors:
- Some fruity martinis start with a fruit-flavored liqueur or flavored vodka base, like the limoncello martini and the passion fruit martini.
- Other recipes have fruit juices and purées, like the pomegranate martini with pomegranate juice.
- Some call for fruity simple syrups, like the strawberry martini with homemade strawberry syrup.
- And then there are many that use a combination, like the raspberry martini with Chambord raspberry liqueur and raspberry syrup.
Confectionary martinis
If you’re more of a candy and chocolate fan, there are tons of other martinis you can try. Many of them have cream mixed in as well, to make thick and velvety dessert drinks.
Chocolate lovers should try the luxurious chocolate martini made with chocolate liqueur. The s’mores martini and tiramisu martini are fun twists on desserts.
Dessert martinis are also really fun recipes to bring out on special occasions. Try a pumpkin martini for Thanksgiving, a sugar cookie martini for Christmas parties or a birthday cake martini for your next trip around the sun.
FAQ
The classic martini is an alcoholic beverage made with dry vermouth and gin or vodka. However, there are many kinds of martinis ranging from dry to sweet dessert drinks.
Classic martinis should be stirred, not shaken, contrary to the movie line, “Shaken, not stirred.” Shaking with ice causes dilution, which can water down the ingredients. Some types of martinis, especially dessert martinis, are shaken, however, to combine the ingredients well and chill them thoroughly.
Did you find a new way to make your martinis? Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite ratio or combination I missed.
And me? I’ll take a very dirty martini with extra olives served straight up. And stirred of course. (Actually, you can just serve the entire jar of olives on the side, please and thank you. And yes, I already know I’m weird.)
Rachel says
Great post – love the descriptions of all the ratios, garnishes etc!
gayle Carbajal says
I love Vodka and cocktail onion juice, I have three jars of onions no juice. They need to sell it like they do olive juice.