How To Order A Martini In A Dive Bar, According To A Bartender

Face it, we can't all be like James Bond when ordering a martini at the bar, especially if it's a dive bar, but we can at the very least feel like him. If you like your drinks strong, lightly sweet, and with herbaceous flavor, then you're a good candidate for making the martini your drink of choice. We connected with Saeed "Hawk" House, the owner of Cocktails By Hawk LLC and bartender-turned-content-creator to learn more about the correct way to order a martini at a dive bar.

House says that a martini is a great go-to drink because you can typically find it on every bar menu regardless of which kind of bar you find yourself in. "If you order one [at a dive bar]," House says, "I would ask for a shaken martini because the ice used to stir a martini may not be the best causing your martini to be diluted but not chilled properly." Ah, so contrary to what martini stir-purists say Mr. Bond totally had it right when he ordered the famous drink to his hotel room in the 1958 film, "Dr. No." 

On top of it being shaken, not stirred, Bond, James Bond, prefers a Russian vodka martini, dry, with a slice of lemon peel. This brings us to our next point, aside from ice-mixing preference, there are a ton of other specifications you should know about before ordering a martini. Quite possibly the most important one is whether you want vodka or gin. The original martini was made with gin, but vodka has also enjoyed its own heyday as the preferred martini spirit. Today, both versions remain popular. If you're looking for a clean, crisp martini that highlights the vermouth, go with vodka. If you're looking for a more flavor-forward botanical drink, go with gin.

Next, you'll have to decide between a dry, perfect, or wet martini. These delineations have to do with how much vermouth is used in the drink. Dry means very little dry vermouth, while wet means equal parts spirit to dry vermouth. A perfect martini uses a 1:1 mix of dry and sweet vermouth in equal measure.

Finally, it's time to pick your preference for dirtiness, i.e. adding a splash of olive juice, and garnish. If you prefer a more savory drink we recommend ordering it dirty with olives. If you prefer your martinis clearer than water, with a hint of sweet, we recommend skipping a dirty martini but adding a lemon twist.