Churchill Martini

Difford’s Guide
Discerning drinkers (24 ratings)
  • Churchill Martini Image

    Churchill Martini

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Churchill Martini image

Serve in a Martini glass

Ingredients:
2 1⁄2 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin from freezer
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Garnish: Fragata Green Olive

How to make:

STIR gin with ice while glancing at an unopened bottle of dry vermouth. Strain into chilled glass.

Review:

Gin served chilled and neat, other than with a little dilution courtesy of melting ice. A great man but not necessarily a great cocktail!

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History:

Legend has it that Sir Winston Churchill liked his Martinis served without the vermouth actually being added to the drink, just present in the same room. He is quoted as saying, "Glance at the vermouth bottle briefly while pouring the juniper distillate freely."
See History and evolution of the Martini cocktail.

Alcohol content:

  • 1.7 standard drinks
  • 32.44% alc./vol. (32.44° proof)
  • 24.3 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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tom munger’s Avatar tom munger
29th July 2023 at 22:32
I read this on the internet, so you know it’s true: because French vermouth was not available in England during the Nazi regime in France during WWII, Churchill would turn south toward Paris and bow slightly to toast in recognition to the home of dry vermouth before quaffing his martini.
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Michiel 261’s Avatar Michiel 261
13th April 2023 at 20:11
Technically you'd still need dry martini for this.
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James Brooke’s Avatar James Brooke
18th February 2023 at 01:30
I’m afraid that, whilst amusing, this story of how Churchill was supposed to have liked his Martinis is no true.
Have a read if this if you doubt me.
https://bevvy.co/articles/churchill-martini-myth/18582
He preferred about a 10ml of Scotch in a highball glass filled with ice and topped up to the brim with soda water. It’s what I call a “Highland Barley Water” and what his daughter called a “Pappa highball.”
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Myxo Gastrid’s Avatar Myxo Gastrid
30th September 2022 at 21:11
honestly? i don't even garnish OR stir it. just dry gin straight from the freezer in a chilled glass. not a cocktail i guess, but one of my favorite ways to appreciate gin
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Hunter Newsome’s Avatar Hunter Newsome
6th August 2022 at 21:19
The 4'33" Martini: prepare in the same way as this but open and close the vermouth bottle three times during the process.
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Avatar

Anonymous

17th January 2022 at 21:31
For an extra dry Martini, modern recipe, have the bottle of Vermouth at the end of a Zoom call. (Unopened).
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Nick Bull’s Avatar Nick Bull
23rd June 2023 at 21:27
For an ever drier Martini, pour gin whilst telephoning the Noilly Prat headquarters, but hanging up as soon as they answer.
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Anonymous

1st October 2020 at 12:41
One of my faves but I appreciate it more when it's dirty.
2
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