Tiffanie Barriere’s go-to, spirit-forward cocktail is a gin Martini. “Dry, crisp, and elegant, with a lemon twist,” she says. The bartender, educator, and drinks historian attributes it to her grandmother, who’s now passed.
“My grandma was a gin Martini drinker,” says Barriere. She also had a life philosophy around the drink that she passed down to her granddaughter. “She said that ‘when you become a woman, you’re gonna order a Martini because you’re ready to know yourself. Because when you order it, you’re gonna have to know how to order it and what you want in the drink.’”
At this year’s Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, Barriere led a seminar titled “Decoding the Martini,” where attendees mixed gin (and vodka) with vermouth over ice, and explored their own Martini preferences.
Tiffanie Barriere, spirits educator
There are no dos and don’ts to a Martini. Decoding the Martini is about shaking off the intimidation.
— Tiffanie Barriere, spirits educator
“The Martini is difficult to nail because it’s clear, intimidating, and full of botanicals — there’s nowhere to hide,” says Barriere. “It doesn’t really have rules, and most people are never taught how to drink it or what to look for. It’s a cocktail you have to learn over time, by training your palate and figuring out your own balance.”
Nailing your Martini order might be a rite of passage as a bar guest, but the negotiation between bartender and customer is equally important.
“You have to get to know your guest to make a Martini,” says Barriere. “[The drink order] asks you to slow down for a minute because there are five questions to go with it. It slows down the transaction and makes it more intentional.”
A Martini order is personal, and although many strong opinions exist about how to make the classic drink, “there is no real way to make it,” says Barriere. “It’s whatever you like. There are no dos and don’ts to a Martini. Decoding the Martini is about shaking off the intimidation.”
During the seminar, attendees explored the many variations of a classic-style Martini — dry, wet, stirred, shaken, with either a gin or a vodka base — to determine their preferences. “No judgment, no pretense, just fun and flavor,” she says.
Barriere’s grandma may have passed on, but the giant Martini-shaped mark she left on her cocktail-loving granddaughter lives on. Ultimately, her grandmother’s lesson still rings true — the Martini isn’t just a drink, it’s a declaration of self. To order one with confidence is to know who you are.