When you think of a Martini, you most likely imagine the well-known Martini glass along with the clear cocktail and olives. What many people still wonder today is why we use olives in this particular cocktail and, if you don’t use olives, is it still a Martini?
Many Martini drinkers agree that the olive is the best part and that without it, the drink simply does not have quite the same kick. Others might say that adding olives simply turns a regular gin and vermouth into this particular cocktail.
If you enjoy olives, or even if you are still in the process of acquiring this taste, it’s good to remember that it offers a number of positive health benefits. It doesn’t hurt to add a touch of good health when your enjoying a night out! Of course bar olives are also somewhat different in that they are preserved in brine. This means that they have a more salty flavour which affects the flavour of the Martini.
Generally, Martinis are garnished with three olives. Any extra olives are served on the side for the drinker to enjoy as they please. The olives that are added to the drink soak up some of the alcohol in the cocktail which makes them even more delicious. Martini drinkers usually enjoy the first of their three olives after the first sip. They then savour the second olive and eat the final olive after their last sip.
It’s important to always use fresh olives when making a Martini. One bad olive can ruin the flavour of this cocktail and you’ll have to toss it out. There are a number of types of olives from which you can choose including bar olives and gourmet olives with various stuffings. If you notice that the cocktail recipe calls for cocktail onions rather than olives mean that you are in fact making a Gibson and not a Martini. These are drinks where the garnish is the most important ingredient of all!