Recipes Drinks Cocktails Martinis Our Best Martini Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on November 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen From classic gin martinis to to refreshing lemon and basil martinis, here are the best recipes for martini variations. 01 of 06 Aged Martini © Lucas Allen This classic gin-based cocktail develops a smooth, deep flavor after being aged in an oak barrel for three weeks. Get the Recipe 02 of 06 Martini © Wendell T. Webber The original martini, allegedly invented in the U.S. in the 1860s, was made with sweet vermouth. One of the first recipes for a dry martini, made with dry vermouth, appeared in Frank P. Newman's 1904 American Bar. Get the Recipe 03 of 06 Lemon & Basil Martini © Wendell T. Webber Naren Young created this martini variation after tasting a lemon-and-basil sorbet at a restaurant. Sweet white vermouth emphasizes the basil's herbal quality, while limoncello and lemon juice give the drink a double-citrus punch. Get the Recipe 04 of 06 Dirty Pasta Water Martini Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In place of a drier, juniper-forward London Dry Gin, the Dirty Pasta Water Martini features a herbaceous gin (Vetri prefers Revivalist's Equinox Expression), which adds a subtle, floral quality to this cocktail and delivers a round gentle sweetness that plays off the salty and starchy pasta water. Get the Recipe 05 of 06 Sakura Martini Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This elegant, modern take on the saketini was created by Kenta Goto, owner of Manhattan's Bar Goto and Brooklyn's Bar Goto Niban. Goto uses aged genshu sake and gin in the drink, and garnishes it with a salt-pickled sakura, or cherry blossom. Get the Recipe 06 of 06 Frozen Martini Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Max Green, owner and bartender of NYC's Blue Quarter, shared his recipe for the perfect martini, which he makes ahead in big batches and freezes. There's no ice and no stirring or shaking with the Frozen Martini: With a formula of two parts gin, one part vermouth, and one part water, the ideal dilution is built into the batch. When you take it out of the freezer, the liquid won't be completely frozen but will glide right out of the bottle. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit