If you're a discriminating vodka martini drinker who wants a top-shelf experience, then the Belvedere martini may just be right up your alley. This crisp martini is the perfect, elegant way to end your evening (or kick-start it). And it's super easy to make at home.
How to Make a Belvedere Martini
While Belvedere is made in the oldest vodka distillery in the world in Poland, it's a decidedly modern spirit. With clean, crisp flavor, this martini is the ultimate top-shelf vodka martini.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces Belvedere vodka
- ½ ounce dry vermouth
- Ice
- Olive for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, Belvedere, and dry vermouth.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an olive.
About the Belvedere Martini
The martini is one of the most iconic cocktails in the world. Even its iconography is a symbol for a bar and liquor. Whether first stirred up in the middle of the 19th century or at the turn of the 20th, the martini is infamous.
To further elevate the elegance of the martini, you can use high-quality ingredients, such as Belvedere vodka. Belvedere vodka is made from Polish rye and follows Polish vodka legal regulations, meaning that nothing can be added other than water, and it must follow a strict distillation process. This recipe has been finely tuned since 1910, but the vodka itself draws on inspiration from centuries of Polish vodka making. While vodka has a neutral palette, Belvedere does have a medium body that is smooth and velvety, with wisps of sweet vanilla and spicy black pepper to create a harmonious flavor.
Garnishes
The martini has several possible garnish options, from traditional to modern.
- Use blue cheese-stuffed olives in place of plain olives.
- Opt for a lemon or lime peel, ribbon, or twist.
- A cucumber also makes an appropriate garnish.
- To transform the Belvedere martini into a Belvedere gibson, use cocktail onions.
Variations and Substitutions
While you don't want to shuffle around too many ingredients, you still have plenty of options.
- Some classic vodka martinis call for a dash or two of orange bitters.
- Experiment with the ratio of dry vermouth and Belvedere.
- Consider using lemon bitters in place of orange.
- For a drier martini, rinse the martini glass with vermouth, discarding the excess vermouth, or skip the vermouth entirely.
A Sophisticated Sip
When you want a crisp vodka martini, the Belvedere martini will elevate a classic cocktail to one that's truly special, turning your mundane evening martini into a top-shelf experience.
