It's a sad truth, but martinis, like old records are going out of style. People now drink beer (even during cocktail parties) and wine, tequila and vodka. Gin (the base of all true martinis) has been relegated to a drunkard's poison or a farmhand's drink.
What a sad state of affairs.
Gin is my favorite spirit. It's not easy to drink, you need the right mixers or you end up with a concoction that tastes like Green Cross alcohol. And you need a steady hand and standard measuring equipment (that or years of experience). But there's something about the bite (some will call it an after taste) of a perfectly mixed martini that will make your head spin (or some people gag). And it's that bite (no, not alcoholic kick, I'm referring to a taste) that makes gin so special.
For you plebes, vodka is distilled from potatos or grain (that's it). Gin, while distilled from grains as well, is infused with botanicals, most notably juniper. And no, I did not Wikipedia this. I really know this. It's the botanicals that make gin a "livelier" drink. Vodka is considered a "neutral" spirit. (Ok, that part was Wikipedia-ed.)
Back home, I made my own martinis, but it felt like I was a character in M.A.S.H., sipping from a martini glass in a ratty shirt and flip-flops. Now I sip them in real bars (we don't have these in Manila, why!??!) where everyone understands "dirty, shaken, and with extra olives" and the shocked look I have when servers ask if I want my martini with vodka.
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