Perfect Martini

Serve in a

Garnish:

Orange zest twist

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.

AKA:

Medium Martini, Somerset, the Queen

Review:

Made with equal parts gin, rosso vermouth and dry vermouth (as per the previous version on this page) the result is almost sherry-like and suits the apertiivo moment. However, if you want that spiritious Martini punch then gin-forward, as per above, is for you.

Variant:

Merry-Go-Round Martini

History:

The Perfect Martini sits between a Dry Martini (with gin and dry vermouth) and a Sweet Martini (with gin and rosso vermouth) so is logically called a Medium Martini in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

MARTINI (MEDIUM) COCKTAIL.
¼ French Vermouth.
¼ Italian Vermouth.
½ Dry Gin.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Harry Craddock, 1930

In his 1948 The Fine Art Of Mixing Drinks, David Embury also calls this a "Medium Martini" and has a lot to say about those who call it "Perfect."

MEDIUM MARTINI
1 part French Vermouth
1 part Italian Vermouth
2 to 4 parts Gin
1 dash Orange Bitters &
1 dash Angostura to each drink
Some recipes call for orange bitters only and some omit the bitters altogether.
This cocktail also goes under the name Perfect. Someone once said that whoever named near-beer was a darned poor judge of distance. I say that whoever named the "Perfect" cocktail was a might poor judge of perfection.
It is also sometimes called the Somerset and, if made with equal parts of French vermouth, Italian vermouth, and gin, the Queen.

David Embury, 1948

More cocktails by Harry Craddock

Nutrition:

One serving of Perfect Martini contains 152 calories.

Alcohol content:

• 1.6 standard drinks
• 25.21% alc./vol. (50.42° proof)
• 22.8 grams of pure alcohol