For a drink consisting of just a few ingredients, there’s a lot of variation in a martini. Gin or vodka? Wet or dry? Twist, olive or onion? Shaken or stirred? It can be too much – which is one of the reasons Bar Planet exists. 

The Mucho Group, of tequila and mezcal-centric Cantina OK! and Tio’s fame, opened the Newtown martini bar mid-2022. Creative director Jeremy Blackmore believed it was time Sydney had a dedicated venue to enjoy, and learn about, martinis. 

“The martini has an inherently weird place in the culture; simultaneously sophisticated and daggy” he says. “But what is cooler than knowing what martini to order, with the exact amount of olives you want? On top of that, it’s a super fun, super delicious, super easy way to drink really cold booze. They’re bracing, with a hit of aromatics. They put you in your place.”  

To help ease the intimidation factor, an ideal starting point is the BP Martini. It’s made with an in-house spirit that sits somewhere between a gin and a vodka, spritzed with a lemon peel and served with an olive. “It captures everything that makes a martini great,” Blackmore says.

And for those who want to personalise their drink, it’s a fun process of discovery. 

“The real secret to the martini is learning what you like and how to ask for it. It’s like an IKEA shelf – because you’ve got to build it yourself, it counts for more,” Blackmore says.

“Serious martini drinkers know what type of gin they like, whether they want more or less vermouth. Once people discover their favourite martini they are loyal, defend their territory and preach to their friends.” 

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Caretaker’s Cottage is such a Melbourne institution that it made the delicious.100 this year as one of the country’s must-do foodie experiences. Director Rob Libecans says martinis are the venue’s biggest selling drink apart from Guinness. “We sold 13,000 martinis last year, and it’s one of three things on the menu that don’t change,” he says.

He believes the booze-fuelled martini is back precisely because it’s so potent. 

“I think people’s tastes have changed. It’s one of those outliers – non-alcoholic drinks have skyrocketed because people want to drink less, but this is probably one of the most alcoholic drinks you can have,” he says. “It’s simple, elegant and probably one of the bougiest cocktails you can order.”  

Credit: Bar Tilda

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There is only one martini on the menu at Caretaker’s, but it’s a goodie. It took the team 300 variations over a few months to get it right. “The drink itself is just so simple, you can make it as complex as you want. I like a martini that is clean, has lots of texture and lets the gin speak,” Libecans says. 

“The challenge was finding a balance between the texture, temperature and taste that everyone will like. Trying to find a balance where someone always has an opinion on something is difficult… It leans dry, but it’s full bodied. The only options are a twist of lemon to brighten it up, pickled onions for a sour element, or Sicilian olives for savouriness.” 

Caretaker’s Cottage originally used Plymouth Gin matched with a house-made vermouth, but late last year approached Four Pillars to create a bespoke gin for its signature martini. 

“I wanted to recreate Plymouth Gin, my favourite from the UK, with all Australian botanicals. It felt right having an all-Victorian martini,” Libecans says.  

Libecans says that not all martinis are created equal. “It’s simple to make, incredibly hard to get right,” he says. “There’s nowhere to hide with that drink. It can be under diluted, over diluted, not cold enough or served in the wrong glass. It doesn’t have a lot of sugar, so there’s nothing to hide behind. The blueprint of a martini is so simple that it leaves so much room for creativity and individual taste. But you can also overcomplicate it and it loses its elegance.” 

Credit: Petrina Tinslay

For the martini-curious, Libecans recommends starting with the terminology. 

“‘Dry’ denotes how much vermouth you don’t have in the drink; ‘wet’ is four parts gin to one part vermouth; [and a] 50/50 is equal parts of vermouth and gin,” he explains. “If you want to start drinking martinis, order a 50/50. Vermouth is easy to drink, it has a lot of sugar and body to it. As you start enjoying that, add a little more gin and subtract a little vermouth.” 

In the gin versus vodka debate, Libecans votes for the former. “Gin has a little more character to it,” he says. “I really want to taste those citrus and pepperberry notes, whereas vodka doesn’t have that, it’s all about texture and neutrality.” 

While the best martini comes from behind a bar, Blackmore says its short list of ingredients makes a DIY doable. 

“Stir 460ml good gin, 70ml dry vermouth, 30ml fino sherry, a pinch (1g) of salt, 1 teaspoon white sugar and 140ml water until the sugar and salt dissolve. Keep it in a bottle in the freezer – it will be ready after six hours,” he says. “You can serve this with a glass full of ice and a lemon wedge, you can top it with soda for a sundowner, or in a frozen stemmed martini glass for max class.”

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