Dry Martini

We have visited this place several times since 2005, and sadly it is trading heavily on its admittedly stunning views. 61 floors up with a small waist-height railing (then straight down!!), it is not for those afraid of heights. Martinis are a solid 7/10, but mixing could be a little more responsive to requests given the stratospheric prices. The atmoshphere is somewhat deflated by lax enforcement of dress rules (despite the signs), and the irritating presence on our last visit of several loud western males posing with escorts. That said, it is worth a visit around sunset simply for the experience.

Website link is here.

This new bar is a small but stylish spot near Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi. Bog-standard martinis are not much to rave about, Gordons-gin based things good for a ho-hum experience only. The good news however is that they mix to order, with Bombay Sapphire (or anything better if they have it), and as dry as you like. They now remember my face and mixing starts as soon as I walk in. These are bloody good, probably the best in Hanoi. Top marks!

Weblink here.

This is definitely walking into the briar-patch. There will always be those that disagree, and those that prefer certain variants over others. We are ecumenical in our tastes, but will post only two recipes here as follows:

The Dry Gin Martini

1 x pre-chilled cocktail glass

• 55ml Gin (Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire)
• 15ml Dry (bianco) Vermouth
• Pour into mixer with 6 ice cubes
• Stir or shake as desired (a major source of debate!!)
• Strain into the cocktail glass
• Add garnish of 1 green olive, or twist of lemon peel (squeezing lemon peel into glass first)

The Vesper (007) Martini

1 x pre-chilled cocktail glass

• 90ml Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire gin,
• 30ml 100-proof Russian grain vodka,
• 15ml Kina Lillet (Lillet Blanc). If not available, 20ml Dry Vermouth with a pinch of quinine powder or 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters.
• Shake or stir in a mixer with plenty of cracked ice
• Strain into the glass and add a twist of lemon peel (squeezing lemon peel into glass first)

I visited this great venue in early September 2009, and it stood out from the crowd with its bold innovation in martini cocktails. The Tom Yum Martini was a tasty dram prepared with red chilli, and went down a treat. So much so that a second sample was required for verification purposes.

The menu was well thought out, and the bread was excellent. A known hangout for expats and locals in the know. Definitely a must following a cold Beer Lao on the Mekong at sunset.

Informative link here

This place has to be seen to be believed. Entirely unexpected, including the concrete elephant motif and excessively large driveway and covered entrance. After a night out, I returned to the bar amid the gaming tables. The dry gin martinis needed help so I spoke out. God bless the management but they took me at my word, and there ensued a  civilised discussion about the finer points of mixing, garnishes, cooling of glasses, and cost structures. Several examples were prepared for free and tasted, with the final actually working out pretty well. I was genuinely impressed by the dedication to the great drink, and they went from a 3 out of 10 to a 6 out of 10 for sheer effort. Great work guys.

Website located here.

Great surroundings, good food, and a bloody marvellous Grey Goose Vodka martini, stirred. Served iced-cold with black Spanish olives, it went down a treat before my duck breast.

Review site reference here.

Arguably the best dry Gin Martinis in South-East Asia, Naughty Nuris is an unassuming place located just outside Ubud on Bali, Indonesia. They don’t claim to be a 5-star establishment, with pretty basic warung-style decor specialising in BBQ ribs and martinis .

Martinis are very generous, extremely “dry” (verging on Churchillian in our view), and served with a flourish. Definitely not to be missed.

Website here.

What a truly excellent Dry Gin Martini. Shaken to perfection, utilising Bombay Sapphire gin and Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth. Served with a flourish, a lovely finish to a long day’s touring on foot. The best in Luang Prabang by far, and equal to may of the better examples in the region.

Restaurant Website is here.

We have moved to a new host because our last host (ZZHosting & No-Wires) went down for more than a week with absolutely no support or credible explanation.

Don’t host there unless you want to lose everything!

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More to come soon. I hope to turn this into a fun site where people can rate places, hotels, bars, restaurants or any-place else on their ability to make the perfect Dry Gin Martini.

The logic behind this is clear – it is one of the simplest cocktails to make, and so rarely done well. It is a symbol of all that can go right in the universe when made to perfection!

Cheers!