The Martini: A Somewhat Factual History

During the Civil Rights-Vietnam War upheaval the martini went into a quiet dormancy. Likely this was a reflection of the times. The martini is a self-indulgent and carefree cocktail. Things like street riots, Agent Orange and assassinations tend to sober a nation. There's even a story out there that says on the night he initiated the Watergate break-in, Nixon was at home tossing back more than a few martinis. Oh, the humanity. Furthermore, in this era of sit-ins and group sex no left wing radical worth his love beads would cop to a vice so connected to the establishment. Besides, there was all that weed and acid to be had.

From here the martini then fell victim to another of the nation's historical low points - the Disco Era. It was a grave time, dominated by big hair and leisure suits, and the country's new drink of choice -- blow. Fast-acting. Euphoric. Conveniently packaged. Cocaine was the anti-martini, the perfect complement to the Saturday night-fevered, choreographed masses. Think about it: drink several martinis and you're out cold, but Hoover up several rattails of Peruvian Blue Flake and you can Hustle till the morning doves sing. But, of course, cocaine has its drawbacks. It's exorbitantly priced, lacks any kind of quality control, and, oh yeah, like dope and LSD, it's against the law.

The martini, meanwhile, suffers no such identity crisis. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It's quite literally a part of our national identity, an icon, the Mount Rushmore of cocktails. Sure, social and political forces may from time to time relegate it to the back of the bar but it always manages to cycle its way back to the front of our happy hour mindset. Credit its undeniable cachet. Like Elvis, the martini is transcendentally cool.

But also from its very beginnings and especially since the introduction of vodka, the martini has been a drink open for interpretation, recreated anew each time around according to the whims of the bartender and the tastes of the drinker. It's a cocktail that can, has and does change with the times. Its only constant is the shape of its glass.