Let's Get One Thing Straight:

A Martini is made from Gin.

Any of you weakling heretics who argue that it can be vodka are WRONG! . . .

. . . That said, many of my friends are weakling heretics. And those same weaklings will tell you that I am the heretic for mixing gin with a lot of things that are NOT vermouth and calling it a "martini." I guess if James Bond drinks vodka martinis then I can get over it. (In the original Ian Fleming books Bond, James Bond, drank a "watered-down" martini that mixed both gin & vodka--see Vesper Cocktail.) So, okay, make a martini out of whatever you want, jeez.

Gilbey's Gin Ad from Time Magazine, Dec. 7, 1962
Martinis are and should be fun, creative and have a bit of wow factor. So I encourage the unorthodox. Good gin has a strong flavor. And some mixers do NOT taste good with gin--something I've learned from experience and some really awful martini attempts. So vodka makes some sense if you are dead set on that chocolate martini--who doesn't love chocolate?

I guess that leaves me as a champion for gin.

Gin is not an easy liquor. It has very distinctive flavors; herbal and sharp. Juniper berries are not something you enjoy a bowl of or sprinkle on your cereal. Gin has a high alcohol content and can burn your tongue and throat. Learning to enjoy the taste may take a little bit of time and even some effort. All of that is what I like about gin. When you drink it there is no mistaking that you are choosing to drink alcohol. You don't gulp gin. You sip it. A martini is not something you shoot to get drunk. It takes time to savor and enjoy one. So the great joy and challenge of a martini is finding interesting flavors to complement or contrast with your gin. A mixer that works with one brand of gin may not work with another brand.

Vodka is nearly tasteless so I think it is a lot easier to mix. Choose gin for a lifetime of challenge and complexity.

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Let's Get One Thing Straight:

A Martini is made from Gin. Any of you weakling heretics who argue that it can be vodka are WRONG! . . . . . . That said, many of my fri...