by Rachelle Reese

Created on: September 26, 2007

There's nothing like a good dry martini after a long day. Apparently one of the great leaders of the World War II era, Sir Winston Churchill, felt the same way.

Winston Churchill said, "All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." He believed martinis should be simple too - and dry.

To make a Churchill Martini, add 3 oz of dry gin to a shaker of ice. Shake and pour into a martini glass. Some recipes call for a twist of lemon as a garnish. Others call for an olive. I prefer to use a habanero-stuffed olive, marinated in Reisling as the garnish, but that's my personal twist on the Churchill Martini.

If you don't have a shaker, you can just chill down a bottle of gin in an ice bucket. That way you don't need to work too hard when you're ready for your second martini. Just open, pour, and add your desired garnish.

A Churchill Martini can be expressed in a single word - Gin. Save the Vermouth for when your French allies or Franklin Delano Roosevelt come to visit. FDR liked his martinis made with a 2 parts gin, 1 part vermouth, and a dash of olive juice. Of course, he waited until after he had signed the 21st amendment to mix himself one in the White House. He wouldn't have wanted to break the law.

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