LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2025

BASICS

Martini Master Class This classic cocktail never goes out of style, and it’s now more popular than ever—with some modern, bartender-influenced flair that can be recreated at home. Here’s everything you need to know to Martini in style.

BY CHARLENE ROOKE ————— PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARREN KEMPER

Martini History An 1877 recipe in The Bar‑Tender’s Guide started it all. Similar to a Manhattan (whisky and sweet vermouth, with dashes of liqueur and bitters, served with a twist), the Martinez cocktail substituted gin for whisky. Over time, the evolving drink was dubbed the Martini. By the 1940s, it contained just gin and dry vermouth and by the 1950s, fictional super-spy James Bond was among the drink’s fans ordering it with vodka. The 1990s gave us a flavoured Martini craze, with everything from Appletinis and Crantinis to Lychee Martinis. In the 2020s, the Martini came roaring back, fuelled by the buzz of Espresso Martinis. Find our Classic Martini and Dirty Martini Cube recipes, plus instructions for batching-up a bottled Martini you can have at the ready in the fridge or freezer, on page 160.

CLASSIC MARTINI WITH DIRTY MARTINI CUBE This cocktail is the best of all worlds. It’s served in a martini glass, but ice-chilled like an on-the-rocks highball. It’s self-garnishing, with a savoury olive frozen inside “dirty” ice that releases its briny goodness as it melts. And it contains just enough bright, botanical vermouth to balance crisp vodka.

A version of this story previously ran on LCBO.com.

FOOD STYLING BY LINDSAY GUSCOTT; PROP STYLING BY CATHERINE MacFADYEN

107

HOLIDAY 2025 ————————