Mention the words ‘Martini on the Rocks’ to a die-hard Martini fan and you’re met with curious stares followed by one word: sacrilege.
Martini on the Rocks – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
When hot evenings have you reaching for tall, refreshing carbonated drinks while secretly yearning for a stirred, boozy cocktail served up, there is an alternative.
What is Martini on the Rocks
As the name implies, Martini on the Rocks is a Martini that you stir and serve in a rocks glass over ice. It can have either gin or vodka and mixed according to your favourite specs. The idea is to have a Martini with minimum fuss. According to this article (source), the cocktail became popular in the 1950s with Americans who came of age in the years following World War II. Even James Bond pours himself a Martini on the Rocks in a tall glass in the 1965 movie Thunderball.
Yet the Martini is a ritual and there’s an art to preparing the cocktail, from chilling mixing glasses, coupettes and spirits to the choice of gin and vodka. Here at Cocktails & Bars, we’ve dedicated a lifetime of Fridays nights to the cocktail and created the #fridaynightmartiniritual hashtag. So how do you drink a Martini on those hot and humid days? We decided to put Martini on the Rocks to the taste test.
1. Martini on the Rocks
Applying the keep it simple principle, gin and vermouth were added to a rocks glass and stirred over a large ice cube. Lemon peel was expressed then added to the glass. The first sip didn’t taste or feel like one is drinking a Martini. At best, it’s compared to sipping gin on ice with a hint of vermouth. As it diluted and chilled further, the drink developed some viscosity, the flavour slightly improved.
Bringing the lips to a chunky old fashioned glass lacks the finesse and elegance of a coupette. To put it simply, it felt wrong and detracted from the enjoyment of the drink.
2. Martini on the Rocks Served in a Coupette
Next we poured gin and vermouth in a coupette, added a small ice sphere, stirred and garnished. The drink kept its chill and the presentation was more elegant and inched closer to the feel of drinking a Martini. However, ice swirling around the coupette and touching the lips was not conducive to the enjoyment of the drink.
3. Mini Martini with a Sidecar
Next, we prepared a Martini the usual way, served it in a mini coupette with a sidecar nestled on crushed ice. This method has the advantage of sipping on a properly mixed Martini which finishes in 3 to 4 sips and gets replenished from the sidecar. On hot and steamy days, even the mini coupette and sidecar replenish struggled and the drink lost its chill fast.
4. Pre-Batched Frozen Martini
For the final taste test, we mixed a Martini with dilution and stored it in a glass bottle in the freezer overnight. The drink was prepared as per our article on how to pre-batch a Martini. This result was a perfectly prepared and textural Martini with the right dilution, viscosity and intensity of flavour. The pre-batched frozen Martini fared best on hot and humid nights.
Verdict
While the pre-batched frozen Martini was the clear winner in flavour, texture and temperature, it doesn’t hurt to try Martini on The Rocks after a hard day. After all, if it’s good enough for 007…
Martini on the Rocks Recipe
Cocktails & Bars version
Ingredients
- 60ml gin
- 10ml dry vermouth
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: lemon twist
Method
Pour gin and vermouth into a rocks glass filled with large ice cubes. Stir for 5 seconds. Express a lemon twist and add to the glass.
