The Martini

The martini. It's like magic. Nothing could be simpler: two ingredients. Yet nothing could be more sublime, more sophisticated, more delicious. Though its origins are lost to history, it is the iconic cocktail, the drink of choice of writers, actors, politicians, bon vivants, and, of course, James Bond. Matt Hranek loves his martini, a four-shots-to-onesplash marriage of gin and vermouth garnished with a twist of lemon peel. It is this passion for precision and excellence, and the smart and tasteful innovation, that makes The Martini an irresistible ode to a perfect cocktail. Filled with appreciation and anecdotes, recipes, photographs, and cultural ephemera, it's a gift of joy for the cocktail lover. Readers learn the story of each component-the gin, preferably a juniper-forward London dry gin with its piney and citrusy notes; the white vermouth; and, if you insist, vodka (just make sure to call it a vodka martini). And from there, recipes for 35 martinis, from simple variations like a Dirty Martini, with olive brine and olives-a favorite of FDR's-to the Vesper, a gin and vodka confection on the menu at Dukes in London and named after Bond's double-agent girlfriend. Limit: two.