The age of all things powerful have come and gone, the power tie, the power suit, the power job, but the one constant has remained…the Martini, the pre-emenant power cocktail. It is elegant, simple and classic. It is over 100 years old, and its ability to remain relevant through two world wars, seven American recessions, and countless drink fads goes without saying.

Legend has it that the first martini is buried in myth, some say it can be traced back to the gold rush of the 1800’s when a bar man named Julio Richelieu mixed a drink he called "The Martinez," comprised of one part Sauternes wine with three parts gin, garnished with an olive or possibly was stirred up just over a century ago at the bar at John Jacob Astor’s Knickerbocker Hotel, a landmarked building on the corner of Broadway and West 42nd Street. In a 2003 "Morning News" article on the hotel, A New York Times editor Clay Risen wrote, "That bar is where, in 1912, an immigrant bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia allegedly mixed gin and dry vermouth, perfecting the martini. One of his first tasters was John D. Rockefeller, who liked it so much that he recommended it to his Wall Street buddies, and the drink quickly became a national favorite."

The Martini has not only endured time and changes in society, but flourished. I was raised in the 1970’s and 1980’s and heard stories of the two or three Martini lunch which has recently become popularized in the AMC drama "Mad Men". And who doesn’t know of James Bond and his "shaken not stirred vodka martini". Incidentally his first Martini was Gin based and stirred, which allows me to segue to the "modern martini". It seems that any drink served "up" in a conical stemmed glass is now a martini, again a testament to its importance in any cocktail program and the profitability of the establishment. Examples include the "Cinnamon Toast Crunch-tini, Red Velvet Cake Martini, The key Lime Pie martini, and the list goes on and on and on!!

Remember, the best Martini is the one that you just poured! Enjoy!