With summer approaching (in the Northern hemisphere, at least), I'll point out that Cocchi Americano is also delightful with soda water over ice.
Martini variations with off-dry vermouth are like a gateway drug. Even people that haven't acquired a taste for the dry version enjoy them. A personal favorite is 3 or 4:1 Tanqueray Rangpur lime gin with Dolin Blanc. This version of Tanqueray used to only be available in duty free shops, but since the pandemic is now more widely available, and the Dolin Blanc can also be used in a white negroni.
Very interesting. I can get this in town. (Our local VABC store caters to college students - which is great if you like flavored vodkas. But we have a good wine/beer store that stocks a pretty good selection of vermouth, and they have the Cocchi Americano.)
I keep a bottle of Lillet Blanc in rotation with the Dolin Dry and interchange them in Martinis depending on my mood. My mood is affected by which bottle is closest to hand. I'll rotate the Cocchi with the Littet.
Peter, I believe you have misinterpreted Embury. When he uses Lillet Vermouth in his deluxe martini, he is referring to Lillet VERMOUTH. On page 88 of the reprint edition he discusses the post war decline in quality of Noilly Prat, his former favorite French vermouth and he writes: "My own favorite French vermouth today is Lillet (pronounced lee'-lay), made by Lillet Freres of Podensac, France. Do not confuse it with the Lillet aperitif made by the same company and originally sold under the name of Kina Lillet. Except for Lillet, I still regard Noilly Prat as probably the best."
Also, you write that Embury "argued that home drink makers shouldn't bother with dry vermouth/orange bitters Martinis at all, and should simply make Deluxe versions for their guests." I cannot find any such argument. The dry vermouth/orange bitters that Embury mentions on page 116 was a 2-1 generic version (with orange bitters) that he felt to be inferior and rejected. On page 117-118 he argues that the 2-1 martini is of use primarily to cover up the taste of poor gin. Whatever modern day views may be on the 2-1 martini, It is clear that Embury was rejecting the original dry martini on page 116 not because it used vermouth and therefore needed orange bitters but because of the proportions and the need to use good gin and good vermouth.
As I believe you have noted in the past, Embury liked his drinks dry. There is no reason to suppose that he would have preferred to dry vermouth an aperitif wine that would add some obvious sweetness to what he really liked, a 7-1 dry martini.
On the Lillet: I started by looking at Adrienne Stillman's excellent recipe book, Spirited. On page 290, she prints the recipe as 8:1 with 2 ounces of dry gin and 1/4 ounce of either Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano, which she credits to Embury. So this is filtered through her interpretation.
On Embury's Martini recommendations, I was referring to page 117, where, after discussing various dry vermouth Martinis, he writes, "The above recipes are given merely in order that you may know the difference between these various types of Martinis as set forth in most recipe books and as served at most bars. My advice is to forget them all and, in your own home, serve one of the following." And then "the following" turns out to be the Martini Deluxe (or De Luxe, as Embury prints it) or the Gibson De Luxe.
After my comment and your response, I decided to make a gin/Cocchi Americano drink. As I was debating whether to use a 5-1 or 7-1 ratio, it suddenly occurred to me that this was a Vesper without the vodka. James Bond's formulation was three measure gin, one measure vodka, and one-half measure Lillet and a lemon peel garnish. So I used two ounces of Ford's gin and 1/4 ounce of Cocchi Americano (8-1) plus a lemon peel garnish. Several years ago I made a few Vespers and felt that the vodka diluted the force of the drink and the garnish saved it. What I just drank struck me as an improved Vesper, something I could drink again, but, in my view, too sweet for a martini. It would be interesting for to do a comparison of the original Vesper with vodka and one without the vodka.
Somewhat unrelated question but can anyone suggest a reasonably priced glassware chiller? Can I just use a regular mini fridge or will that not make them cold enough?
With summer approaching (in the Northern hemisphere, at least), I'll point out that Cocchi Americano is also delightful with soda water over ice.
Martini variations with off-dry vermouth are like a gateway drug. Even people that haven't acquired a taste for the dry version enjoy them. A personal favorite is 3 or 4:1 Tanqueray Rangpur lime gin with Dolin Blanc. This version of Tanqueray used to only be available in duty free shops, but since the pandemic is now more widely available, and the Dolin Blanc can also be used in a white negroni.
You have somewhat anticipated the next newsletter!
Very interesting. I can get this in town. (Our local VABC store caters to college students - which is great if you like flavored vodkas. But we have a good wine/beer store that stocks a pretty good selection of vermouth, and they have the Cocchi Americano.)
I keep a bottle of Lillet Blanc in rotation with the Dolin Dry and interchange them in Martinis depending on my mood. My mood is affected by which bottle is closest to hand. I'll rotate the Cocchi with the Littet.
Peter, I believe you have misinterpreted Embury. When he uses Lillet Vermouth in his deluxe martini, he is referring to Lillet VERMOUTH. On page 88 of the reprint edition he discusses the post war decline in quality of Noilly Prat, his former favorite French vermouth and he writes: "My own favorite French vermouth today is Lillet (pronounced lee'-lay), made by Lillet Freres of Podensac, France. Do not confuse it with the Lillet aperitif made by the same company and originally sold under the name of Kina Lillet. Except for Lillet, I still regard Noilly Prat as probably the best."
Also, you write that Embury "argued that home drink makers shouldn't bother with dry vermouth/orange bitters Martinis at all, and should simply make Deluxe versions for their guests." I cannot find any such argument. The dry vermouth/orange bitters that Embury mentions on page 116 was a 2-1 generic version (with orange bitters) that he felt to be inferior and rejected. On page 117-118 he argues that the 2-1 martini is of use primarily to cover up the taste of poor gin. Whatever modern day views may be on the 2-1 martini, It is clear that Embury was rejecting the original dry martini on page 116 not because it used vermouth and therefore needed orange bitters but because of the proportions and the need to use good gin and good vermouth.
As I believe you have noted in the past, Embury liked his drinks dry. There is no reason to suppose that he would have preferred to dry vermouth an aperitif wine that would add some obvious sweetness to what he really liked, a 7-1 dry martini.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Thanks for writing.
On the Lillet: I started by looking at Adrienne Stillman's excellent recipe book, Spirited. On page 290, she prints the recipe as 8:1 with 2 ounces of dry gin and 1/4 ounce of either Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano, which she credits to Embury. So this is filtered through her interpretation.
On Embury's Martini recommendations, I was referring to page 117, where, after discussing various dry vermouth Martinis, he writes, "The above recipes are given merely in order that you may know the difference between these various types of Martinis as set forth in most recipe books and as served at most bars. My advice is to forget them all and, in your own home, serve one of the following." And then "the following" turns out to be the Martini Deluxe (or De Luxe, as Embury prints it) or the Gibson De Luxe.
After my comment and your response, I decided to make a gin/Cocchi Americano drink. As I was debating whether to use a 5-1 or 7-1 ratio, it suddenly occurred to me that this was a Vesper without the vodka. James Bond's formulation was three measure gin, one measure vodka, and one-half measure Lillet and a lemon peel garnish. So I used two ounces of Ford's gin and 1/4 ounce of Cocchi Americano (8-1) plus a lemon peel garnish. Several years ago I made a few Vespers and felt that the vodka diluted the force of the drink and the garnish saved it. What I just drank struck me as an improved Vesper, something I could drink again, but, in my view, too sweet for a martini. It would be interesting for to do a comparison of the original Vesper with vodka and one without the vodka.
Somewhat unrelated question but can anyone suggest a reasonably priced glassware chiller? Can I just use a regular mini fridge or will that not make them cold enough?