Adding water is to account for the dilution from stirring with ice.
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Yes. To approximate the amount of dilution I would have gotten from stirring over ice.
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In the article you listed, which I very much enjoyed, in calculating the alcoholic “strength” of the martini it assumes a 25% dilution from stirring with ice. I suppose that may depend upon the length of stirring and the vigor of the stir, if I am correct that the increased speed of agitation may impart kinetic energy and cause quicker melting of the ice. Though I could be wrong about that.
I once wanted to do a personal martini tasting with 6 different gins. I made them in individual very small “shot” glasses and put them in the freezer. I forgot to account for the dilution of stirring with ice, and it was a bust. Rocket fuel. I never thought to add a precise amount of water for dilution. But I am unsure whether 25% dilution means adding a volume of water equal to 25% of the volume of alcohol (gin plus vermouth), or adding enough water such that the water makes up 25% of the total final volume of liquid. It’s been to many years since I took chemistry.
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My son and his roommate both being in medical/dental school did a dilution experiment shaken vs stirred etc. Somewhere are the results.
Since I do most cocktails by weight I’ll have to see how many ounces of water I get.
One thing to remember is relative surface area of ice and temp of ice. I keep my freezer -8 but the ice bin up top registers about 20. So I have hard frozen ice for large rocks and martinis are made with “soft” frozen ice.
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Couldn’t you make a martini and measure the volume of Gin in and then the total volume of Martini out?
There would be other variables such as grams and surface area of ice, length of shake ect.
Yes, that’s how you would figure it out. I’m kind of surprised that just shaking with ice for a few seconds could dilute by as much as 25%.
25% water in this recipe for a batched martini
25% dilution seems like a good rule of thumb. I haven’t read all of this article:
I’m surprised the dilution is that much.
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Rock Rose Gin - This is a really pretty nice gin with floral notes, juniper, citrus, and a nice warming spice of cardamom and cinnamon. Overall this is nicely balanced, and is lovely in a summertime gin and tonic. Silky smooth, and even tasty on ice. Good stuff.
Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut 2023 - Or as I like to call it, Monkey 48 since it has an additional botanical every year. The 2023 rendition of the Distiller’s Cut has a fun gray label, and uses maple syrup as the extra “botanical.” Look, it comes across as Monkey 48, with a hair extra body and a pretty similar profile. It’s good and smooth and, as ever, interesting.
I love prebatched cocktails. Spent the past week at The Soho Hotel in London, which prebatches their Negronis. Perfection on a warm day (or even a cold one). The Grill in NYC makes fantastic martinis, prebatched. I’m surprised that more bars and restaurants don’t do it, as it makes for a superior cocktail and saves time at a busy bar.
I bet more places do this than we realize.
I ate at Stissing House this past April and their wonderful martini came in a bottle.
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Did you taste @ybarselah’s batched and bottled smoked Negronis circa 2015? They were fantastic.
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I suspect that you and I were his best customers. LOL.
He’s been my booze sherpa for years.
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My daughter picked up one of my Negroni six-packs and muled it to Paris. They were extra delicious, as everything tastes better here.
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Hey Day Market in Auburn (owned by the University school of hospitality) has Negroni on tap. Along with a couple of others I don’t recall. One may have been a mojito.
New gin last night. John Emerald barrel rested.
Used in a Negroni. The Negroni was good seemingly falling somewhere between a regular Negroni and a boulevardier.
hysterical.
a friend found one recently in his fridge. he asked if it’s still safe and i said yes based on nothing whatsoever. i’ve seen him posting on IG so he’s not dead. yet.
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I still have one, too.
seriously? wow. super interested in how it’s showing. i bet it needs some additional bitters to wake it up a bit, but otherwise will probably drink really smooth and rounded.
Damn…All of mine were gone within a couple of weeks of purchase.
It’s all good though as the acolyte has become a master. Plus I use Campari for a proper Negroni.
only because it’s a trigger. not because you actually like it.
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All of this discussion of batched negronis has me itching to try it out. Has anyone tried this version with Braulio? It’s from one of the Punch links above. Alpine Negroni Large Format Cocktail Recipe | PUNCH