Saturday night is martini time at Juniors.
People come in daily for the classic cocktail, said bartender Steve White, but the thirst for martinis seems to peak during weekends.
As summers heat beats down on Oklahoma City, theres no better time to enjoy this chilled mix of vodka and vermouth at Juniors, 2601 Northwest Expressway, said owner Jim Shumsky. Its not his beverage of choice the boss prefers whiskey with a solitary ice cube but he knows White makes a great one.
If you cant make it to the historic haunt with the bright red walls and a bar like a scene out of an old movie, its not too hard to make one at home.
Vodka White reaches for a bottle of Grey Goose brand vodka, but you might opt for a local favorite like Success Vodka or Prairie Wolf.
Dry vermouth The easiest to find is Martini & Rossi. You wont need a lot, but White said its important.
Ice Check the freezer.
Large green olives
Cocktail shaker
Strainer
Martini glass
1. Fill the glass with ice and water. The water transfers the chill to the glass faster than ice alone.
2. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and pour in a quarter ounce of vermouth.
Some recipes call for a half ounce, but if youre making it with vodka, you dont need that much, White said.
Though the classic version of the cocktail was made with gin, about 80 percent of the martinis he makes at Juniors use vodka.
Gin is a more flavorful spirit, so it needs more vermouth to stand up to it.
3. Add three ounces of vodka. Whites preparation includes a bit of a show, but you can be a bit more deliberate with it. He also eyeballs the measurements, but he makes them quite often.
4. Put the lid on the cocktail shaker and start shaking vigorously. White grips the side and the bottom, which helps him measure when the concoction reaches the perfect temperature.
I shake it until the bottles too cold to put my hand on the bottom, he said.
5. Pour the ice and water out of the martini glass. Pop the top off the shaker and use the strainer to hold back the ice while you pour the cocktail. Whites next step is to take a plastic skewer with three giant green olives and stir the drink.
Juniors also serves it with blue cheese-stuffed olives on request. And customers can ask for other variations. Adding olive juice makes it a dirty martini.
Plopping in a couple of cocktail onions turns the drink into a Gibson.
I dont know what I do different than any bartender, White said.
With 14 years of service behind Juniors bar, the proof is in the number of empty martini glasses at the end of the night.
Learn more about Juniors at juniorsokc.com.
Print headline: Shaken summer, Juniors bartender Steve White has the recipe for the perfect ice-cold martini.