How to Make a Classic Martini

If you master only one cocktail, it should be the martini. It's a legend in a glass, and every hostess worthy of her shaker should know how to make a martini.

This divine drink can transform even the shabbiest soirée into a swanky affair. This magical concoction is very easy to make. The only effort is in the accessories – a proper martini glass, several alluring olives, a siren dress and a come-hither smile. As Robert Benchley said to Ginger Rogers in the classic film The Major and the Minor: "Why don't you get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini?"

Step 1: Martini Recipe Ingredients

1 1/2 oz (75ml) gin or vodka

1/2 oz (15ml) vermouth

Ice

Olives for garnish

Step 2: Method

Pour the vodka or gin and vermouth into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.