To begin with, let's sort out classic Martini cocktails and their ingredients. Martini is a cocktail containing unequal portions of gin and dry vermouth in a ratio of somewhere between 2:1 and 15:1, garnished with either a green olive or a lemon twist (a twist is a garnish made from the rind of a lemon or lime (usually a lemon), used to express volatile citric oils onto the surface of the drink).
While variations are legion, a standard modern Martini is made by combining approximately two and a half ounces of gin and one half ounce of dry vermouth with ice in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. The ingredients are chilled, either by stirring or shaking, then strained and served "straight up" (without ice) in a chilled cocktail glass, and garnished with either an olive or a twist.
London dry gin is the most popular gin for dry Martini cocktails (it may be made and bought anywhere in the world). A Sweet Martini is made with sweet red vermouth, and may be garnished with a maraschino cherry instead of an olive.
Another common but controversial variation is the Vodka martini (or Vodkatini or Kangaroo), which is prepared with vodka being substituted for gin as the base spirit. In the 1990s, the Vodka martini supplanted the traditional gin-based Martini in popularity. Today in most locations, when bar and restaurant customers order "a Martini," they frequently have in mind a drink made with vodka.
Gin may be substituted by tequila (Tequila Martini), Akvavit (Akvavit Martini). A dry, clear sake may substitute for vermouth (Sake Martini).
An In and Out Martini is a very dry gin Martini prepared by pouring a small measure of vermouth into a shaker, shaking it to coat the ice, and then pouring out and disposing of any remaining vermouth. The standard amount of gin is then shaken over this vermouth-tinged ice and served normally.
Apple Martini is a Vodka Martini with an apple flavoring, sometimes with apple, lemon or lime juice, and is often garnished with a slice of Granny Smith apple. Some people call Apple martini Apple Cosmopolitan.
A very important thing for Martini cocktails is a proper glass. The traditional martini glass has shallow, conical bowl, which forces one to sip the drink rather than tossing it back in large gulps, and the stem prevents the drink from warming. Martini glass must not be too large: 6 ounces is the largest acceptable size In addition, style and presentation are significant aspects of the Martini experience, and a proper glass is essential for these.
These tips and tricks will help you to avoid some common mistakes that will spoil any Martini. All the ingredients should be very fresh, as high-quality as it can be afforded. Ice must be the cleanest and freshest, without any smell of other products you keep in your freezer. Avoid aluminum tools. And last, but not least: make everything as cold as possible, some people think there's nothing worse than warm martini.
As to recipes, there is no concept of "the perfect" martini. There is only a concept of Your perfect martini, which should be mixed as you like it. And it's really up to you to decide what your favourite Martini cocktails will consist of, and in what ratio. Invent Martini cocktails, try new recipes, and enjoy!