8 Great Takes on the Wet Martini

Dialing up the amount of vermouth or another aperitif adds flavor and complexity while still keeping the ABV in check 

While all cocktails are wet, a Wet Martini seems rather fitting. The opposite of a Dry Martini, rather than adding nary a whisper of vermouth to the cocktail glass, this style of cocktail uses a generous splash--sometimes even a full ounce.

“A Wet Martini is delicate, complex, and floral, adding depth to a cocktail that’s otherwise very simple,” says Alex Tack, bar manager at Rex 1516 in Philadelphia. “It’s nuanced in comparison to a dry or dirty variation.” If you are looking to experiment with Wet Martinis, Tack suggests starting with two ounces of gin and a quarter-ounce of vermouth, adding more vermouth in quarter-ounce increments until you achieve the desired balance of flavors and mouthfeel. He deems classic gin brands like Tanqueray and Beefeater to be versatile go-to’s, especially if you are garnishing with olives or pickles, while Plymouth and Hayman’s Old Tom have a delicate citrus and floral profile that work with lemon peel garnishes. Either way, he calls Dolin Dry Vermouth perfect for just about any application. Barrel-aged gins like Bluecoat result in a drink that sets squarely between a Martini and a Dry Manhattan, and of course, if vodka is your penchant, have at it. 

Wet versions can make it fun and eye-opening to branch out of your comfort zone. “It’s something that is both familiar and new,” he says. “You don’t truly know what you like until you’ve tried at least a handful of different things.”

Here are a few basic recipes from Tack to get started, followed by creative iterations that up the Wet Martini game even further:

Basic Wet Martini

Recipe courtesy of Alex Tack, Bar Manager, Rex 1516, Philadelphia, PA

2 oz. Plymouth Gin or Hayman’s Old Tom Gin

¾ oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

Lemon peel, for garnish

Add the first two ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or Nick & Nora glass, express the lemon peel over the rim of the glass and hang to garnish. 

Basic Dirty Wet Martini

Recipe courtesy of Alex Tack, Bar Manager, Rex 1516, Philadelphia, PA

2 oz. London Dry Gin (Beefeater or similar)

¾ oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

¼ oz. olive juice

Olives, for garnish

Add the first three ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or Nick & Nora glass, skewer the olives and add to the glass or simply drop them into the glass.

Basic Barrel-Aged Wet Martini

Recipe courtesy of Alex Tack, Bar Manager, Rex 1516, Philadelphia, PA

2 oz. Bluecoat Barrel-Aged Gin

1 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

3 generous dashes of orange bitters

Lemon or orange peel, for garnish

Add the first three ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or Nick & Nora glass, express the citrus peel over the rim of the glass and hang to garnish. 

Feeling Sentimental

Recipe courtesy of Dean Hurst, Beverage Director, Datz Restaurant Group, Tampa Bay, Florida

Coup

“I love a 50/50 martini made with a quality dry vermouth like Dolin,” Hurst says. “This recipe elevates the botanicals in Hendricks by adding layers and bridging the savory aspects of the dry vermouth.” The sweet wine from Spain is made with the Moscatel de Alejandría grape, which adds a floral note and honey-tinged lusciousness.

1 ½ oz. Hendricks Gin

⅔ oz. Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro (or another sweet Moscatel wine)

⅓ oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

Lemon peel, for garnish

Add the first three ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

Recipe courtesy of Kimberlee Weaver, Supervisor, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay, California

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Named for the first European to navigate the California coast, this drink is part of the hotel’s Exploration Cocktail Series, which transforms the origins of world navigators into libations. Colloquially referred to by staff as the “Fog Martini,” it features a vodka created from the fog water droplets of the San Francisco Bay area. Bartenders smoke the drink tableside; you can omit this step or achieve a similar effect at home with A Smoking Gun tool.

1 ½ oz. Hangar 1 Fog Point Vodka

1 ½ oz. Jardescap White Aperitiva (or another blanc vermouth)

¼ oz. caper berry brine (from a jar of capers)

2 caper berries, for garnish

Add the first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the caper berries dropped into the glass or arranged on a wooden skewer.

Orchard Buzz

Recipe courtesy of Natalie Lichtman, Bartender, Elixir, San Francisco, CA

Orchard Buzz at Elixir

Lichtman’s drink is a nod to the ubiquitous Appletini of the 1990s and also an ode to the tweaks and tricks of an individual’s Martini preference. “[There is] a crisp, savory note from vermouth infused with Granny Smith apples and fresh thyme, [while] balsamic vinegar and bitters balance the cocktail for a high-acid and vibrant take on a classic,” she says. 

1 ½ oz. Barr Hill Gin (Gold medal winner at the 2020 NYISC)

1 ¼ oz. apple-thyme dry vermouth (see Note)

2 dashes of orange bitters

Dash white balsamic vinegar

Apple skin and thyme sprig, for garnish

Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a small stemless or Nick & Nora glass and garnish with the trimmed apple skin and thyme sprig. 

For the apple-thyme dry vermouth:

Peel a Granny Smith apple, chop into ½-inch cubes and combine in a neutral, food-safe container with 350ml of dry vermouth. Add 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and place in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Strain off the solids with a cheesecloth or fine strainer, and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

Cerulean Martini

Recipe courtesy of Gregory Schutt, Beverage Director, Tropics, Cocoa Beach, Florida

Cerulean Martini

Seafoam and the chilled ocean breeze at sunset inspired this blue-hued Martini, which Schutt describes as “soft yet complex, with a forward citrus note and back note of light botanicals.” He uses blue spirulina powder (available on Amazon.com) to make a tincture that gives the sip its pretty color; you could use a drop of butterfly pea flower water or omit any coloring agent and just add a pinch of fine-grained sea salt for salinity.

1 oz. Waterloo No. 9 Gin (or another floral-forward modern gin)

1 oz. Dolin Blanc

½ oz. Lillet Blanc

½ oz. coconut water

¼ tsp. sea salt blue spirulina solution (see Note)

Lemon peel and edible flower, for garnish

 Zest the lemon peel into a chilled coupe glass and leave it in the glass. Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into the prepared coupe and garnish with an edible flower, if desired. 

For the sea salt spirulina solution:

Mix 1 oz. warm water, 1 tsp. coarse salt and a pinch of blue spirulina powder. Stir until dissolved.

Brings May Flowers

Recipe courtesy of Morgan Stana, Bartender at Large, Washington, D.C.

Brings May Flowers

“I tend to like my cocktails light and bright, and felt the Martini should be no exception,” Stana says. Grapefruit peel and Lillet Rose’s floral notes harmonize with the gin honey character; Stana says the cocktail is perfect for springtime--or anytime you wish it were. 

1 ½ oz. Barr Hill Gin (Gold medal winner at the 2020 NYISC)

1 ½ oz. Lillet Rose

4 dashes grapefruit bitters

Tiny pinch of salt

Grapefruit peel, for garnish

Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an expressed grapefruit peel.