The Great Martini Identity Crisis
L I B AT I O N S
There are some distinctions that should be easily made. Is that a celebrity or just some skinny blonde chick in cowboy boots? Do you think it’ll be a tropical storm or a potentially devastating levee-breaking hurricane? Am I drinking a martini or a margarita?
Alas, these are complicated times, and drinks that used to be simple have now been mixed and mutated by fruit juices, peeled lychees and inventive glassware.
Margaritas, made with tequila, triple sec and lime juice, and served with a salty rim, have taken a distinctly 7- 11 turn. Slushy frozen margaritas in an array of flavours from strawberry to kiwi have taken over summer patios and given many the overdressed young lady a serious case of brain freeze.
Martinis, too, have reached a point where they are barely recognizable, much to the chagrin of purists who insist the cocktail calls for gin or vodka, a hint of vermouth and olives, no more. Shaken or stirred is the only option presented to James Bond, they say; who are you to demand more?
But not everyone can handle their booze straight up, and martinis have been doctored with everything from peppermint schnapps ( The Christmas Martini) to cranberry juice and triple sec (The Cosmopolitan).
Are these still martinis, or simply ice-less mixed drinks served in glasses that are impossible to hold without spilling?
Is a $70 margarita served in a hotel bar really a margarita or just the most pretentious way imaginable to drink tequila?
Maybe the only distinction to be made comes down to a cocktail class thing. Martinis evoke a sense of sophistication, of luxury and expense, while margaritas conjure up time spent on a beach in Mexico, slamming down all-inclusive blender drinks. Thankfully, most bars and restaurants come equipped with a handy menu on which the thirsty can point to their chosen cocktail without fear of embarrassment or misidentification. Just keep in mind these simple rules: Margaritas begin with tequila, martinis begin with vodka or gin and cocktail hour should not begin before noon. Beyond that, borrow a page from the culinary school and think of altered classics not as blasphemy, but as the fine art of cocktail fusion.
MARGARITA 1⁄2 oz tequila 1⁄ 2 oz triple sec 1⁄ 3 cup Roses lime juice 2 Tbsp. sugar
MARTINI 1 1⁄ 2 oz vodka or gin Dash dry vermouth Stuffed olive
Siri Agrell, National Post A martini Not a martini