Name: Duke's Dry Martini - The 'Naked' or 'Direct' Martini
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 5 ml Chilled water; 2.5 ml Dry vermouth; 75 ml Gin

Duke's Dry Martini - The 'Naked' or 'Direct' Martini
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Duke's Dry Martini - The 'Naked' or 'Direct' Martini image

Serve in a Martini glass

Ingredients:
¹⁄₆ oz	Chilled water
0.08 oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth
2 ¹⁄₂ oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select a Martini glass.
Prepare garnish of skewered chilled Fragata Green Olive &/or lemon zest twist.
FREEZE glass and bottle of gin by placing them in a freezer for at least two hours before making the cocktail.
An hour before making drink POUR water into frozen glass, swirl around to coat and place back in freezer. Preferably do this with a little of the water at a time. Continue to swirl around during freezing process to coat the sides of the glass.
When ready to serve, POUR chilled vermouth into icy glass and swirl to coat with vermouth.
POUR frozen gin into glass.
Garnish with skewered olive or lemon zest twist.
Serve immediately.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Dry vermouth - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

The quantities of gin and vermouth stated in this recipe produce a Dry Martini with a 30:1 ratio of gin to vermouth. A small amount of dilution is achieved as the ice coating the frozen glass melts. Both glass and gin must be freezing cold so that the temperature masks the strength of the alcohol. Thus the drink does not taste nearly as strong as it is – you have been warned.

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AKA: Diamond Martini

Variant:

Use an atomiser to coat glass with vermouth.

History:

Giuseppe Cipriani documents his use of a freezer to make Dry Martinis in his 1978 book L'angolo dell'Harry's Bar, seven years before what is now known as the Duke's Martini was introduced to the bar at London's Dukes Hotel by Salvatore Calabrese who served it first to American journalist, Stanton Delaplane.

See: The Truth behind th 'Naked' or 'Direct' Dry Martini

Nutrition:

One serving of Duke's Dry Martini - The 'Naked' or 'Direct' Martini contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

2 standard drinks
34.56% alc./vol. (34.56° proof)
28.5 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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Tuber Magnatum

5th February at 23:38

As per my last comment, I just mixed this as per instructions with the water element. Recognizing it was a couple of days ago and I didn't try the two versions back to back, I can say that I prefer the drink with the thin layer of frozen water. It is imperceptible in terms of dilution, but for me rounds out the drink with its high alcohol content. Maybe for the same reason that a little water helps whisky? And it didn't take much more effort. Highly recommend.

Tuber Magnatum

3rd February at 00:02

Just tried at home after having the pleasure of drinking one at Duke's Bar made by Alessandro Palazzi himself. I used Monkey 47 gin (Does this qualify as a "London dry gin or is it as I have seen also described a "Modern gin"?) with his preferred vermouth, Sacred English Amber. I chose not to dilute with water as prescribed in this version as I wanted to "recreate" the version I had. Delicious as it was, I can't wait to try with the added water by freezing for comparison. Will report back!

Theo Clark

25th January at 04:55

I used this for a palate cleanser after a few horribly sweet drinks, and it's really quite a spectacular kind of martini. High effort, but if you like martinis normally you owe it to yourself to try this once. Also works fantastic with vodka instead of gin!

Peter Barth

5th May 2024 at 11:48

very effervescent.
the time/work and freezer space is making this a one off for me tho.

Nick Buck

28th April 2023 at 15:20

Salvatore is at Donovans Bar in Browns Hotel now. The martini there certainly warrants a visit (not cheap mind!)... I think it's the best in London. Last excursion there I had the vodka one (Grey Goose) with an olive, bloody delicious! I will certainly try it at home!!

John Hinojos

16th November 2022 at 01:15

Excellent, cold, and very spirit forward. The quality of your gin and vermouth with make a huge difference in this cocktail. Was worth all the planning and prep to make the cocktail.

Anonymous

28th May 2021 at 23:48

Absolutely wonderful cocktail.

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