Celebration of the Martini
Reading like something of an ode to a martini, Staten Island resident Robert K. Hagen writes a long article celebrating the martini. He writes about philosophy with choice quotes, how to make one, and its history.
The only part I take issue with is the second. Hagen is apparently a proponent of shaken martinis! Of course, no one should tell you how to make your martini the way you want it. However, true martinis are stirred and not shaken to prevent bruising the gin. If you don’t believe me, then check out this answer from The Straight Dope concerning the question, “Why does James Bond care if his martini is shaken instead of stirred? What difference does it make anyway?”
Very interestingly, The Straight Dope even conducted a blind taste test comparing shaken and stirred gin martinis made from the same mix. Stunningly, they were all able to distinguish between the two. I may have to try this myself later, as I’ve never had a martini shaken before.
