Martinis, Manhattans, and Rob Roys are all members of the same family of drinks traditionally made with a few drops of vermouth and 2 ounces of liquor. These days, numerous interesting variations have become popular.
These drinks are always mixed on ice, lightly stirred or swirled, and then strained into the serving glass. They can be served up in a martini glass or on ice in a rocks glass.
Tip: Despite the popular slogan of "shaken, not stirred", you should never shake a martini - especially one made with gin. Shaking can "bruise" the gin, causing it to become cloudy and discolored. Instead, gently swirl or lightly stir the martini in the shaker before pouring.
Black Martini
This delightful version substitutes black current liqueur for the vermouth.
Blue Martini
Blue curacao gives this martini an intriguing blue color and a tasty hint of orange flavoring.
Chocolate Martini
This hip and tasty version is a great dessert accompaniment.
Cosmopolitan
This cocktail was made famous by the television show "Sex and the City".
Dirty Martini 1
This olive lover's favorite substitutes olive juice for the traditional vermouth.
Dirty Martini 2
This version of the Dirty Martini adds the "dirty" olive juice, along with the traditional dry vermouth, to the gin or vodka martini.
Dry Manhattan
This version is made with dry vermouth, rather than the sweet vermouth found in a classic Manhattan.
Dry Martini
This is a good classic version for folks who prefer a drier martini.
Dry Rob Roy
This version is for folks who prefer a drier Rob Roy.
Extra Dry Martini
This is a classic version, made very dry with only a drop or two of vermouth.
Gibson
This is essentially a martini garnished with cocktail onions instead of olives.
Manhattan
This is a simple recipe for a Manhattan, which is essentially a whiskey martini.
Martini
This is a classic version, made with either gin or vodka.
Negroni
Sweet vermouth and Campari bitters liqueur lend an interesting balance to this martini variation.
New York Martini (Silver Bullet)
A few drops of scotch add a smooth and rich dimension to this martini.
Perfect Manhattan
This version of the Manhattan uses both sweet and dry vermouth.
Perfect Rob Roy
A combination of both dry and sweet vermouth add an intriguing dimension to this Scotch lover's favorite.
Rob Roy
This is a simple recipe for a Rob Roy, which is essentially a martini/manhattan made with scotch.
Silver Bullet (New York Martini)
A few drops of scotch add a smooth and rich dimension to this martini.
SoCo Manhattan (Southern Comfort Manhattan)
This version appeals to folks who like a sweeter cocktail.
Traditional Manhattan
This classic Manhattan recipe is well worth the work it takes to prepare it.
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