A chilled, crystal glass, the purest gin, a touch of dry vermouth, and a plump, green olive—the martini was and still is more than just a cocktail. Originally mixed in the nineteenth century, it became an American icon in the twentieth. Bernard De Voto called the martini “the supreme American gift to world culture,” while H. L. Mencken declared it “the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet.”
冰涼晶瑩的水晶杯,純正馥郁的杜松子酒,外加少許干苦艾酒和一枚多汁的綠橄欖,無論過去,還是現(xiàn)在,馬提尼都不僅僅是一種雞尾酒。始于19世紀(jì),20世紀(jì)時(shí)已成為美國的象征,伯納德•德沃托稱,馬提尼是“美國獻(xiàn)給世界文化最崇高的禮物”,而門肯則將馬提尼譽(yù)為“唯一能和十四行詩相媲美的美國發(fā)明”。
One of the oldest legends surrounding the mystery of the birth Martini cocktail takes us back to the late 19th century, at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, when a traveler on his way to Martinez (California), asked the Hotel’s barman to prepare something special, unaware that this barman was the legendary Professor Jerry Thomas, famous for his innovative cocktails. In 1872 the recipe for Martinez manual for bartenders was published which saw him recognized as one of the leading authorities in his field. Another hypothesis would return to ltaly, in Liguria, where the name of Martini is still widely diffused. In all probability, the Martini cocktail has no single inventor like in the case of many a masterpiece.
有關(guān)馬提尼誕生之謎的一個(gè)最古老傳說是這樣的:19世紀(jì)晚期,一位旅者在赴加利福尼亞馬丁內(nèi)斯的途中,來到舊金山的西方酒店,要求調(diào)酒師為他準(zhǔn)備一款特別的飲品。豈料這位調(diào)酒師競是當(dāng)時(shí)的傳奇人物杰里•托馬斯教授,因精于調(diào)制各種新穎別致的雞尾酒而聞名。1872年,他為調(diào)酒師編寫的馬丁內(nèi)斯調(diào)制手冊出版,由此而被公認(rèn)為業(yè)內(nèi)權(quán)威之作。另一個(gè)傳說則發(fā)生在意大利的利古里亞,馬提尼的名字在那里至今仍家喻戶曉。不過,如同很多杰作一樣,馬提尼的發(fā)明者很可能并非一人。
The one undisputable fact is that Martini has long been associated with important events and people, not the least of whom being John D. Rockerfeller who, from the age of 71 never renounced his Martini cocktail until his last days at 98. The modem American Style Martini a squirt of Vermouth to a shot of gin—was invented at Harry’s bar in Venice to satisfy Ernest Hemingway, one of the most famous and regular client.
不過,有一個(gè)事實(shí)無可爭議,那就是,一直以來馬提尼都與一些重要事件或人物聯(lián)系在一起,其中就包括與小約翰•D•洛克菲勒的淵源。從71歲開始,小約翰就沒有一天離開過他心愛的馬提尼,數(shù)十年不曾偏廢,直到98歲去世。現(xiàn)代美國版馬提尼由杜松子和苦艾酒混調(diào)而成,該調(diào)法源于威尼斯的哈里酒吧,獻(xiàn)于海明威,因?yàn)樗沁@家酒吧最著名的常客之一。
Original recipes for a martini called for a 2:1 ratio of gin to vermouth, but that proved to be too unpopular with drinkers who preferred the astringent and sharp taste of gin to the sweetness of a wine-based product like Italian vermouth. Refinements to the recipe led to at least a 5:1 ratio, all the way to a 15:1 ratio for some dry martini enthusiasts.
在最初的馬提尼酒調(diào)制法中,杜松子與苦艾的比例為2:1,然而,這樣的馬提尼在當(dāng)時(shí)卻并不為人所青睞,有些飲者偏愛杜松子酒濃郁的澀味,對(duì)以諸如意大利苦艾為基礎(chǔ)調(diào)制成的甜味馬提尼并不感冒。于是,調(diào)酒師改進(jìn)了馬提尼的調(diào)法,將杜松子酒與苦艾酒的比例調(diào)整為5:1或更高,而對(duì)于那些熱衷于干馬提尼的飲者,杜松子與苦艾的比例更是高達(dá)15:1。
A traditional gin martini is either stirred with a splash of vermouth or shaken with vermouth and ice in a special beverage shaker. The bartender strains out the ice and pours the chilled gin and vermouth into a distinctively conical martini glass. At this point, an olive or twist of lemon peel may be added for additional flavor.
傳統(tǒng)的杜松子馬提尼的制法是,將杜松子與苦艾攪拌或是將苦艾倒入加冰的特制搖酒壺中搖晃,而后取出冰塊,將冰涼的杜松子和苦艾倒入一個(gè)特制的圓錐形酒杯中,最后加入一枚橄欖或是檸檬皮作為裝飾,如此別有一番風(fēng)味。
Because straight gin can be a bit harsh for new drinkers to handle, vodka is often used as a substitute for popular flavored martini cocktails, such as apple or chocolate. The use of vermouth has also diminished to the point where a bartender may literally pour a drop of vermouth into a martini glass, swirl it around to coat the sides, and then pour it out completely before adding the actual gin or vodka blend.
對(duì)于初品酒味的人而言,純杜松子酒的味道可能略嫌過辣,難以受用。因此,調(diào)酒師經(jīng)常會(huì)用伏特加取代杜松子酒調(diào)制各種大眾口味的馬提尼,如蘋果味或巧克力味。苦艾酒的用量也大為減少,調(diào)酒師甚至?xí)娴闹话岩坏慰喟刃械谷腭R提尼杯中搖晃,讓苦艾的氣息附著在杯壁上,再把杯中剩余的苦艾全部倒掉,最后才加入純正的杜松子酒或伏特加。
The flavored gin or vodka-based cocktails may be popular with a younger clientele, but there is still a substantial demand for the gin martini, a classic cocktail which literally defines the concept of a properly mixed drink.
以杜松子或伏特加為基酒調(diào)制的不同口味的雞尾酒在較年輕的飲者中間倍受青睞,不過杜松子馬提尼卻也相當(dāng)暢銷。杜松子馬提尼是一種經(jīng)典雞尾酒,它創(chuàng)造了真正意義上混合飲品的理念。
【Martini Terminology】
You most likely have heard martinis as being dry, extra dry, wet or even burnt. If you aren’t really sure about what it all means, then this would really help:
Wet—This refers to a sweeter martini which really means more vermouth. This disguises the intensity of whatever alcohol is the major player! A wet martini is much easier to drink.
Dry—This is your typical martini where little vermouth resides in the cocktail. A stronger punch!
Extra Dry—This is for the real players where no vermouth should be found in the mix. Essentially we have a straight drink here chilled and served with a tasty garnish.
Burnt—Now this is serious game for classic martini lovers. This is to be absolutely sure that this cocktail is really dry. A small amount of scotch is put into the glass and swirled so that it remains on the glass. The excess is poured out and the chilled cocktail is then poured into the scotch drenched glass. Ouch that’s good!