Today is World Martini Day, so we checked out a Martini experience in London that left us both shaken and stirred. – Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star
Happy World Martini Day! Held on every third Saturday of June, World Martini Day started out as “National Martini Day” in the United States, and used to be held annually on June 19. However, since 2021, this was changed to World Martini Day, to reflect the global appeal of the classic cocktail, and also switched to the third Saturday of June to make it easier for bars and martini lovers to celebrate the occasion.
Now, it’s no secret that I personally love a good Martini, and on a recent trip to London, I was invited by Beefeater Gin to check out one of the most famous places to get a Martini in the city, Dukes Bar. Legend has it that author Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond himself, frequented this bar for Martinis.
Before my visit, I was told that the dress code for the bar is “smart-casual”, with no sportswear (including sneakers) or round neck T-shirts allowed. I was also informed that all guests at Dukes Bar could only order a maximum of two Martinis at any one visit, as it involves a “generous pour”, as I found out later.
The bartenders at Dukes serve the Martinis from a little wooden trolley and free-pour the chilled gin perfectly into the glass.The bar is located at the prestigious Dukes Hotel, located just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. It has a walk-in policy, and I was warned that there may be a waiting period if the bar is crowded and no tables are available.
Happily enough, I happened to drop by at a much quieter time, around 5pm, and was immediately shown to my seat – a lovely, cushy tall armchair in the corner with a view of almost the entire seating area, as well as the relatively small but wonderfully well-stocked bar.
The menu was relatively simple – there was a page for “Dukes Cocktail Collection”, which include a couple of Bond-ian drinks like Strangways, Miss Moneypenny and Goldeneye; a “Vintage Cocktails” list with classic cocktails like the Sazerac and the Last Word, and a long list of spirits and wines available by the glass.
But Dukes is famous for its Martinis, this was reflected on the menu, which had not one, but two pages of “Dukes Martinis”.
While the classic ones like the regular Dry Martini, Martinez and Vodka Martini are present, there is also an array of Martini variations and twists with names that read like the answers to a Jame Bond pub quiz. These include the likes of the Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki, Room 39, Oracabessa, Oddjob ... all created and named by Dukes’ legendary bartender Alessandro Palazzi (who seems to be a bit of a James Bond fan himself).
Anyway, my invitation from Beefeater included two Dukes Dry Martinis, one made with the regular Beefeater London Dry Gin, and the other, the 50% ABV Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin.
After making my order, a bartender (not Palazzi himself, unfortunately), comes over with a little wooden trolley with a chilled bottle of gin, as well as couple bottles of vermouth and bitters on the top shelf, a martini glass, and a basket of lemons.
The Dukes Bar in London is famous for its Martinis, and for good reason too.No shaker, you ask? Well, although it is said that Fleming actually came up with Bond’s famous “shaken, not stirred” Martini line here, the Martinis at Dukes are neither shaken nor stirred.
Since I ordered mine dry (which means less dry vermouth), the glass was first coated with a swirl of also-chilled house-made “Sacred extra dry vermouth”. Then, the gin, which is taken straight from the freezer, is free-poured directly into a chilled Martini glass. No jiggers, no stirrers, no shakers. All 125ml of the gin is poured directly into the glass perfectly without spilling a drop, and right up to the rim. It is then given a puff of lemon zest from a large slice of lemon peel.
Wait, a 125ml pour of gin? Yes, this is the generous pour I was promised. It is no wonder the bar restricts guests to only two Martinis each time.
The drink may be strong, but it was definitely one of the best Martinis I had ever tried. Yes, the large pour of gin means the spirit dominates, but for me, the real star of the drink was the vermouth, which I just had to get a taste of.
On its own, the vermouth was herbal and floral on the palate, but also extremely dry. In fact, I probably would not enjoy it on its own, but in a Martini? It just helped to elevate the juniper notes of the London dry gin so much more.
For my second Martini, I went with a wetter version just to see how the higher strength Crown Jewel gin interacts with the vermouth. Unsurprisingly, it was a perfect fit, with the herbal dryness of the vermouth acting as a perfect foil to the juniper-forward notes of the gin.
While I would have loved to try many more of the Martinis on the menu (especially the Vesper, which is arguably my personal favourite Martini variation), I definitely would not have enjoyed it as much, especially not after two of the tastiest but definitely strongest Martinis I had ever had.
But rest assured, my Martinis at the Dukes may not have shaken, but the experience itself definitely had me stirred.
Michael Cheang is still amazed at how perfect the pour of gin was at Dukes. Follow him on Facebook (fb.com/MyTipsyTurvy) and Instagram (@MyTipsyTurvy).
