Glynn Marshes writes:

Let’s be quite clear about this: I do not like my Martini mucked about with; I guess, in exactly the same way that Dad did not want ice or lemon peel in his Gin and French. Traditional and unmoved to the last, I despise change when something — to my eyes, at least — is pretty close to perfection. But there are now some truly vile so-called Martinis being mixed out there by unscrupulous and, frankly, damaged folks (they have been renamed “mixologists”; I ask you, what exactly is wrong with the title “barman” or “bartender”?) who are endlessly thinking up novel (nasty) things to do to this unique drink. And what makes it worse is that there are plenty of cretins out there who quietly sit on bar stools and order them.

And, the recipe 🙂

Have 2 of your favorite Martini glasses ready: 1 in the freezer, 1 to hand. Fill a glass pitcher half-full with fresh ice and pour a good splash of vermouth over it. Stir briefly and strain out all traces of liquid. Fill the Martini glass that’s to hand with gin and pour it over the ice. Stir briskly for 20 seconds and strain into the chilled glass. Usnig a (well-scrubbed) potato peeler, remove a generous piece of zest from an unwaxed lemon and, using your thumb and forefinger, tweak (not twist) it over the surface of the drink. Discard. Remove another piece of zest, repeat, then curl it into a tiny scroll and drop it in. Absolute perfection.

I occasionally favor 3 tiny cocktail onions threaded onto a stick and immersed in the drink too. This is called a Gibson. Traditionally, this does not include lemon zest; but I prefer it with. I guess the terminal purist would now tell me that this was a “mucked about” Gibson. And I guess he would be right.

— Simon Hopkinson, Second Helpings of Roast Chicken