The Dallas cocktail scene grows each year, with standout sips being shaken (and stirred) across the city. The best of the bunch tend to balance creativity with respect for the classics, and there’s one tried-and-true cocktail that’s shown incredible staying power: the martini.
At its most basic level, the martini is composed of gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth — but decades of tinkering have brought beloved versions into the cocktail canon. There are the dirty martini and espresso martini, for example, as well as a number of experimental riffs that rethink what a martini can be.
“The martini resurgence is driven by the younger imbibers’ interest in the classics,” says Gabe Sanchez, the award-winning bartender behind the cocktail programs at Midnight Rambler, Saint Valentine and Black Swan. “There’s no better way to start the night than with an ice-cold martini made with care.”
Each of Sanchez’s bars has a martini on the menu. The Clean Martini at Midnight Rambler is a relatively straightforward recipe featuring dry gin, aperitif wine and blanc vermouth, plus a dash of Champagne vinegar and orange bitters. Saint Valentine’s umami-packed freezer martini takes a left turn with goose fat-washed gin and enoki mushroom-infused vermouth, while Black Swan’s freezer martini is made with dry gin, blanc vermouth and koji tincture. All three recipes feature Crazy Water No. 4 from nearby Mineral Wells. “This water works as the dilution but also gives slight minerality as a counterpoint to the vermouths and gin,” explains Sanchez.
Eat Drink D-FW
The espresso martini has surged in popularity in recent years. This one is from Beverley’s.
Monika Normand
Clifton Club serves a classic gin martini and a dirty vodka martini, while sister restaurant Beverley’s Bistro & Bar is famous for its espresso martini. The latter adds to the typical three-part recipe (vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur) with Licor 43 and Demerara syrup, then garnishes the cocktail with freshly grated nutmeg and orange zest. All Katz Brothers Hospitality concepts — Clifton Club, Beverley’s, Green Point and Claremont — also serve the Zapper, an espresso martini shot that’s often sent out to guests who are celebrating a birthday, engagement or other milestone.
Greg Katz, the founder of Katz Brothers Hospitality, says that the espresso martini is the most popular version at his restaurants. But he believes that health and wellness trends are also pushing people toward the classic recipe, which feels special but doesn’t include added sugar.
Bar Colette serves excellent takes on the dirty martini and espresso martini alongside its wildly creative original cocktails. The dirty martini is also a mainstay at Mike’s Gemini Twin, the lovable dive that’s not too divey. Gin or vodka is shaken with two types of olive juice, and the glass is adorned with anchovy-stuffed olives. A batched and frozen version of the same drink is served at sister concept Bowen House, the upscale cocktail joint in Uptown.
On the other end of the spectrum is Tango Room’s $55 Caviar Martini, made with high-end vodka, oyster shell-infused dry vermouth and kummel, an herbal liqueur flavored with caraway seeds, cumin and fennel. It’s garnished with a spoonful of caviar.
These are just a small sampling of the martinis gracing cocktail menus around town, and plenty more bars and restaurants can make a good martini even if it’s not on their menu — all you have to do is ask. Order one the next time you’re out, then try recreating a few Dallas favorites at home.
Mike’s Gemini Twin Dirty Martini
2.5 ounces gin or vodka
.5 ounce olive juice (blend two olive brines of your choice)
1 dash savory tincture or bitters of your choice
Shake together until the ice is in very small pieces, then strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with anchovy-stuffed olives.
Beverley’s Espresso Martini
1 ounce vodka
.5 ounce Licor 43
.5 ounce Mr. Black cold brew coffee liqueur
.5 ounce Demerara syrup
1 ounce LDU’s Magic Bean Juice, chilled
Add ingredients into a shaking tin with ice and shake vigorously for about 6 seconds, then pour into a martini glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and orange zest.
Dining and Cooking