Firstly, James Bond's method is wrong...

It's fair to say that the martini is one of the most famous cocktails around. But for a drink that has only two key ingredients, there's certainly plenty of twists on the classic, and plenty of ways to make it.

After all, James Bond prefers it shaken, the espresso martini has become the drink of the moment and there's a debate whether you should have lemon peel or an olive as garnish.

So who better to speak to than Gary Sharp and James Thomas, the co-founders of the World Martini Challenge.

What is a martini?

Starting with the basics, a classic martini consists of gin, and vermouth. The third component is water that comes from the ice. But definitely NO shaking according to Gary and James.

"The ratio of water to gin/vermouth can make the difference between a gentle sipping drink, and a knock-you-on-the-floor shot," they told us.

The history of martini isn't clear and several versions compete to be the origin story, but it’s generally agreed to have happened around the late 1800s. According to Gary and James, its popularity comes from both its simplicity, and versatility.

"Anyone can make a martini," they say. "However few can make a good martini, mostly because martinis are a particularly personal cocktail."

"If you ask for a martini in a bar, and are not asked ‘how would you like that?’, then leave immediately."

How do you make a martini?

To make a classic martini you need ice, vermouth, gin and a garnish.

Before starting, ensure that all your glassware and mixing glasses are chilled.Fill a mixing glass with ice and pour a splash of vermouth into the glass and coat the ice.Pour out any extra vermouth, followed by the gin. If you want it dry, 7.5ml of gin and 65ml, for a 'wet' martini making it 20ml of vermouth and 50ml of gin.Stir 18 times, ideally with a proper cocktail stirring spoon.Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a twist of grapefruit (the pair's preferred garnish).

Mistakes you're making with your martini

1. Adding more vermouth than needed:

The biggest mistake you can make is adding more vermouth than needed. Confusingly, the vermouth used in martinis is 'dry vermouth' but the less you use, the 'dryer' the martini.

"Many a poor bartender believes that an ‘extra dry’ martini means that it needs additional dry vermouth," says Gary Sharp. "This is entirely wrong, and makes what is known as a ‘wet’ martini."

2. Not pairing your garnish properly

Another mistake is not having the right garnish. Many think an olive is best, but having a compatible garnish is key.

"Any gin can be made into a decent martini," reveals James Thomas. "The secret is to select a sympathetic garnish."

For example they recommend grapefruit with Tanqueray, while the 2017 World's Best Martini winner Daffy's is best served with a dash of orange bitters and a lemon.

Traditional garnishes are olives, or a lemon twist, but there is a growing range of options suggested by gin makers and inventive mixologists including, fruit, herbs, pickled veggies and seaweed.

3. Listening to James Bond

"The ultimate martini icon, and ironically the most wrong about martinis in the world, is surely James Bond," says Gary.

Firstly, martinis should really be made with gin, but he asks for a vodka martini, which uses both vodka and gin. And his preferred recipe uses Gordon's gin, which actually makes the cocktail a Vesper.

"He then goes on to shake the drink, thereby introducing tiny shards of ice that make for an unpleasant mouth experience," adds James. " This can cause the rink to be slightly clouded, instead of the perfect, clear liquid that real martini drinkers prefer."

4. You're not diluting the martini properly

One of the secrets of a good martini is dilution – the amount of water that is added during the cooling and mixing process.

For those who prefer a lighter martini, prolonged stirring introduces more water, and therefore a less potent drink.

According to Gary and James, adding a splash of olive brine provides a little more dilution and gives you a ‘dirty’ martini. For those who need a stronger hit, the ideal recipe calls for 18 stirs – this provides maximum cooling and minimum dilution.

All images (c)2019 World's Best Ltd. Content reproduced from an article by Victoria Chandler and first featured in Good Housekeeping on 14/01/2019 (based on an original outline by Gary Sharp).