Shaken, not Stirred

My question has to do with nibblies that people think go especially well with a martini, although it occurs to me that the real question might be, "Is there anything that doesn't go well with a martini?" -Tom

GRAMPY,a wonderful topic,one I have some experience and knowledge about.......do not underestimate the value of a non-premium gin,that gin being 'Gordons',everything a gin should be. my usual method of self destruction usually involves Bombay Saphire(frozen) and a lemon peel,if it's a vodka nite,I go with Finlandia
As to vermouth? it is a form of gasoline in this house,certainly not to be bothered with in any civilized gathering of my upper-crust pals when we repair for 'cocktails'(believe this and I'll next tell you I have never drunk Busch beer).

quote:

Originally posted by cunamara

My question has to do with nibblies that people think go especially well with a martini, although it occurs to me that the real question might be, "Is there anything that doesn't go well with a martini?" -Tom

Hmmm. I always think raw oysters or smoked salmon go well but a martini is a meal in itself.

Smoked fish of just about any kind, liver pate' or any pate' or terrine, somoked and cured meats, nuts, all kinds of crackers , breads, pickles. I think it might be easier to list what doesn't go with a Martini. I don't think sweets of any kind work with a Martini.

Cheers, John

Gin is vile, one of the many evils inflicted upon the world by the English.
Being a plain sort, I like 1 cup of good vodka (Stolly is fine) and 1/2 jigger vermooth shaken untill too cold to hold the shaker, strained into chilled glasses with three olives each. Serves two.
I used to be able to get a Dutch vodka called Oliphant that made great vodka Martinis, but I can't find it anymore.
Top

quote:

Originally posted by Top

Gin is vile, one of the many evils inflicted upon the world by the English.
Being a plain sort, I like 1 cup of good vodka (Stolly is fine) and 1/2 jigger vermooth shaken untill too cold to hold the shaker, strained into chilled glasses with three olives each. Serves two.
I used to be able to get a Dutch vodka called Oliphant that made great vodka Martinis, but I can't find it anymore.
Top

You're getting in trouble, BIG trouble, here.

Trouble I can handle (I was a Yankees fan when I moved to New England).
It's GIN I can't handle..........
Top
;)

INCOMING

quote:

Originally posted by Top

Trouble I can handle (I was a Yankees fan when I moved to New England).
It's GIN I can't handle..........
Top
;)

"Was" a Yankee fan? Can't take GIN?" As the guy said to his mule, "That's two." This isn't The Gong Show; it's a martini forum!

Tops: A Martini is made with dry Gin and dry Vermouth. As has been established by referendum of 20,000 roadfooders (Well, actually, three Southerners conferring over a bottle of aged Bourbon) that Vodka and Vermouth thing you like to drink is called a "STALINI". IT IS NOT A MARTINI !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, welcome to Roadfood, and welcome to the Martini forum. We are a tolerant and forgiving group; we are willing to forget your lapse and assign to it the well meaning , but sadly inappropriate, gestures of the stereotypical Yankee fan. We are even willing to embrace and welcome into our midst the odd apostate member of this forum who professes a love for that Vodka cocktail - just so long as he calls it by its proper name.

Cheers, John

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

Tops: A Martini is made with dry Gin and dry Vermouth. As has been established by referendum of 20,000 roadfooders (Well, actually, three Southerners conferring over a bottle of aged Bourbon) that Vodka and Vermouth thing you like to drink is called a "STALINI". IT IS NOT A MARTINI !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, welcome to Roadfood, and welcome to the Martini forum. We are a tolerant and forgiving group; we are willing to forget your lapse and assign to it the well meaning , but sadly inappropriate, gestures of the stereotypical Yankee fan. We are even willing to embrace and welcome into our midst the odd apostate member of this forum who professes a love for that Vodka cocktail - just so long as he calls it by its proper name.

Cheers, John

Classy response. You must be well into at least your first. Being in a later time zone I'm still awaiting that pleasure; maybe that's why I'm a little crabby. -Tom

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

Tops: A Martini is made with dry Gin and dry Vermouth. As has been established by referendum of 20,000 roadfooders (Well, actually, three Southerners conferring over a bottle of aged Bourbon) that Vodka and Vermouth thing you like to drink is called a "STALINI". IT IS NOT A MARTINI !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, welcome to Roadfood, and welcome to the Martini forum. We are a tolerant and forgiving group; we are willing to forget your lapse and assign to it the well meaning , but sadly inappropriate, gestures of the stereotypical Yankee fan. We are even willing to embrace and welcome into our midst the odd apostate member of this forum who professes a love for that Vodka cocktail - just so long as he calls it by its proper name.

Cheers, John

Uh hmmm, Seafarer. As a MARTINI purist and GIN lover (is there any other kind) I somewhat take offense to the geographical nee cultural slights against those of us that live North of the Mason Dixon line. On page five of this forum I wrote a short treatise on why a MARTINI is always made with GIN and it seemed to convince at least one devout vodka lover. I urge Top to peruse this with the sincere hope that he or she will see the light. Nothing wrong with vodka; it just doesn't belong in a MARTINI. Mr. Boston's calls vodka and vermouth a 'Kangaroo'.

Originally posted by seafarer john

Tops: A Martini is made with dry Gin and dry Vermouth. As has been established by referendum of 20,000 roadfooders (Well, actually, three Southerners conferring over a bottle of aged Bourbon) that Vodka and Vermouth thing you like to drink is called a "STALINI". IT IS NOT A MARTINI !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geezzz, I suspose that the Vodka Gimlet is going to be a problem too.....
On the othe hand, I'll be more that happy to knock down Maker's Mark, or the bourbon of your choice with you. It's almost as good as scotch.....
Top
(who was washed in the waters of the Charles in '86 and was redeemed...)

quote:

Originally posted by Top

Geezzz, I suspose that the Vodka Gimlet is going to be a problem too.....
On the othe hand, I'll be more that happy to knock down Maker's Mark, or the bourbon of your choice with you. It's almost as good as scotch.....
Top
(who was washed in the waters of the Charles in '86 and was redeemed...)

Top,

That "washing" in the Charles might have redeemed you. But scotch better than bourbon???

(I do enjoy a good single malt, and my ancestry is probably to blame!)

Frank (in Powhatan, VA., which looks like Longforgan, near Dundee, Scotland)

Rye -- real rye. Try it.

The Vodka Gimlet is definitely a problem, and the time is long since past that we give the little bastard a proper name. What one needs to understand is that in the "good old days" whoever it was that invented the Gimlet and the Gibson , had the decency to give them their own names - they have never been called some kind of Martini.
Would that the Vodka drinkers in the age of the feminized saloon would have had the decency to give a name to their little bastards.

I hereby propose ... what the Hell, I HEREBY ORDAIN that the drink made of Vodka and Vermouth and garnished with an onion be christened the "Potemkin".

I'll leave it to others to give a name to the Vodka and Roses Lime juice concoction. The ball's in your court , Tops...

Rayme: There was no slight meant in my reference to the committe of three Southern gentlemen who chose the name for the "Stalini".
It just happened that Hizzoner the Mayor chose two other honorable
gentlemen who just happen to live south of the Mason/Dixon to help him select from the myriad of enties submitted, the name for the drink. As you may not know, I'm a resident of New York's Hudson Valley and am proud to call myself a Yankee- but not a Yankee fan.

Cunamara: I'm always one drink and one time zone ahead of you - no matter how early you may choose to slake your thirst...

Grampy: You must have stocked your brand new bar with a lot of straight Ryes - I look forward to someday getting up into that god forsaken forgotten corner of Massachusetts to visit your saloon.
And, yes, You're the bartender and you can shake the Martini if you like...

Cheers, John

John:

As always, I defer to your wisdom, mostly because it usually substantiates my own. I am making it a point to put the best spirits in our bar – in that godforsaken part of that blue state where I proudly dwell. Plymouth gin is the rail gin. Tell me a bar where you have the likes of that. I am trying to teach these bartending puppies (and puppettes, and you know what I mean) that you do not cut your fruit the night before, nothing good comes from a bar hose, and you serve it all the way you might serve a secret agent with a 00 before his 7. Class. YET, unlike in my own home, where I do not have salt on the table[see the 'I have a digereedoo-up-me-pumpkin thread], I still must defer to the patron/guest: if someone comes up to the bar and asks for shaken or stirred, or ketchup in his Martini, I will happily do so. After the tip is given, do not expect to find the body.

This GIN Martini is for you, Retressed!

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

The Vodka Gimlet is definitely a problem, and the time is long since past that we give the little bastard a proper name. What one needs to understand is that in the "good old days" whoever it was that invented the Gimlet and the Gibson , had the decency to give them their own names - they have never been called some kind of Martini.
Would that the Vodka drinkers in the age of the feminized saloon would have had the decency to give a name to their little bastards.

I hereby propose ... what the Hell, I HEREBY ORDAIN that the drink made of Vodka and Vermouth and garnished with an onion be christened the "Potemkin".

I'll leave it to others to give a name to the Vodka and Roses Lime juice concoction. The ball's in your court , Tops...

Rayme: There was no slight meant in my reference to the committe of three Southern gentlemen who chose the name for the "Stalini".
It just happened that Hizzoner the Mayor chose two other honorable
gentlemen who just happen to live south of the Mason/Dixon to help him select from the myriad of enties submitted, the name for the drink. As you may not know, I'm a resident of New York's Hudson Valley and am proud to call myself a Yankee- but not a Yankee fan.

Cunamara: I'm always one drink and one time zone ahead of you - no matter how early you may choose to slake your thirst...

Grampy: You must have stocked your brand new bar with a lot of straight Ryes - I look forward to someday getting up into that god forsaken forgotten corner of Massachusetts to visit your saloon.
And, yes, You're the bartender and you can shake the Martini if you like...

Cheers, John

Thanks John.

The fact that one has to say VODKA gimlet should give it away; gimlets are made with gin. But you can say vodka gimlet; I don't know if there is another name for vodka with sweetened lime juice. See The Long Goodbye for more on this cocktail. Speaking of rye, Grampy/John, what is your favorite? I was discussing Sazerac's with someone and the discussion turned to what rye to use along with your Herbsaint and Peychaud bitters. I use Old Overholt but maybe I'm just lazy; the Sazerac Bar in NOL uses a rye made by the Wild Turkey folks.

I blush to admit that I've not had a drink of straight rye in many many years. A long time ago I liked Old Forester, in fact, I liked it so much that I bought a case of the stuff at some rediculous small price in tax-free Charlotte Amelie. When we arrived in the British Virgins the authorities launched a thorough search of our vessel; I paniced, and hid my Old Forester in a locker full of electrical gear. The room overheated, the bottles exploded, I had a small fire on my hands, and I lost most of my stash. (It turned out we had a druggie on board and he had apparently stocked up in Charlotte Amelie through a dealer who ratted on him in to the cops.)

But it won't be long before I go out and buy myself some top shelf rye and renew an old and fond aquaintence.

Cheers, John

I personally like Van Winkle Family Reserve. We have Sazerac and Wild Turkey at the bar.

Grampy: Are we to assume your bar is open and pourng drinks? Or are you still in the stage of training the locals in the proper operation of a saloon? And, excuse my ignorance, but I thought Sazerac was a New Orleans specialty cocktail; is it also a brand of Rye?

Cheers, John

John: Yes, Sazerac is also a brand of rye, and top shelf http://www.internetwines.com/rws23903.html. As to the bar, it officially opened last Friday. Right now, I am pouring Wednesday through Saturday. The Blue Heron was just a restaurant, but in its new guise it is a restaurant with a bistro, and a lounge with a bar.

[img]http://store1.yimg.com/I/randalls_1819_15490568[/img]

I didn't realize that Wild Turkey made a rye either. In Va., I can only find Old Overholt/b], and Jim Beam Rye.

Frank

From an article in our local paper about the opening of a new restaurant in Walnut Creek, CA called Bing Crosby's:

"Out of respect for every one of Crosby's 74 years, the bar is featuring a menu of 74 martinis. Crosby (an alumnus of Gonzaga University in Spokane) used to quip that though he studied law in college, the bar of the State of Washington was the only bar he was ever kept out of."

I am sure you all know that the greatest ryes were made in Maryland.Regrettably, there is NO rye made in Maryland anymore. Beam and Turkey are not bad, but the original Pikesville Maryland Rye and Welsh's Black Bottle were the stuff. Hmm..there might be an opportunity here..

DO NOT! and I repeat, DO NOT order a martini at Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh!

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

DO NOT! and I repeat, DO NOT order a martini at Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh!

Why not? Do they not match up well to their famous sandwich?

Frank

I think I already posted the "Martini Story at Primanti's" somewhere else on Roadfood, but I'll post it again here........only because we are still laughing about it one month later.

Waiter: Whadda younz want ta drink? (He speaks Pittsburghese)
Zman: A Beefeater martini.
Waiter: A WHAT?
Zman: Beefeater martini.....or Tanqueray.
Waiter: Or a WHAT?
Zman: Tanqueray.......you know it's gin.
Waiter: Gin?
Zman: yes, gin.
waiter walks away, over to the bar, pours some gin in a PLASTIC CUP ON ICE and yells across the room, "Hey, whadda ya mix wit dis??"
Zman: Vermouth!
Waiter: Vermout??
Waiter comes to the table, plunks the plastic cup down and says,
"WE AIN'T GOT NO VERMOUT".

We cracked up! The pastrami with cheese that the waiter WHACKED in half in front of us with the fries and slaw hanging out was to die for........but it was the worst martini on the planet!!

Ahh, got it. (I didn't see your orig. post about this).

Yep, we've been through similar scenarios. Linda asked for an Old Fashioned, and the waiter asked "old fashioned what?" And, by the way, this sort of response happens all too often.

That's hilarious!

Frank

llee: Love that story - it belongs in Grampy's Cocktail book.

Cheers, John