Best Ways to Serve a Dry Martini

dry martini glassware styles with lemon twist garnish

Few cocktails spark such passionate debate as the dry martini. For both newcomers and seasoned drinkers, understanding the best way to serve a dry martini involves glassware, chilling technique, and the fine balance of spirit, dilution, and garnish. Every choice influences both aroma and flavor perception, turning a basic mix into a timeless classic.

Essential Glassware for a Dry Martini

Martinis are best served in a stemmed martini or cocktail glass. This isn’t just about looks — the stem allows you to hold the drink without warming the bowl, while the broad surface enhances aroma enjoyment.

Classic V-shaped martini glass (120–180 ml capacity)
Nick & Nora glass for a more compact, less spill-prone option

Serving Temperature: Chilling and Dilution

The 'up' or 'straight up' dry martini is always served ice-cold and strained into a pre-chilled glass. Proper chilling tempers the alcoholic bite and coaxes out delicate botanicals from gin or vodka and vermouth. Over-dilution, however, dulls both aroma and clarity.

Chill the glass in the freezer or by packing with ice and water for several minutes.
Stir the martini with large, cold ice cubes for 20–30 seconds for optimal dilution and chilling.
Strain into the pre-chilled glass, leaving ice shards behind for crystal-clear presentation.

Garnish: Olive or Lemon Twist?

A dry martini’s classic garnishes each create a distinct sensory impact. A green olive gives a mild briny note and a smooth, savory finish. A lemon twist adds a burst of citrus oil — brightening gin botanicals and lending a crisp nose. For vodka martinis, a lemon twist generally brings out more subtlety than an olive.

For olive: Use a single, large green olive, skewered and placed in the glass — avoid stuffed or flavored olives for a proper dry martini.
For lemon twist: Cut a wide, fresh peel. Express oils over the drink’s surface, then drop in or rest on the rim.

close-up lemon twist garnish on a dry martini

Dry Martini Up Recipe

For those seeking the archetype — cold, clean, and beautifully aromatic — this is the standard 'dry martini up' recipe favored by bartenders worldwide.

60 ml London dry gin (or high-quality vodka for a vodka martini)
10 ml dry vermouth (adjust up or down for preference)
Lemon twist or olive for garnish
Ice (for stirring)

Chill a martini glass in the freezer or fill with ice water while you build the drink.
Add gin and vermouth to a mixing glass filled with large ice cubes.
Stir vigorously for 20–30 seconds, ensuring proper dilution and an icy chill.
Strain into the chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist (expressing oils over the surface) or a green olive.

dry martini up served with olive and lemon twist on bar

How Serving Choices Affect Taste and Aroma

Temperature and dilution underscore the martini’s signature crispness, while proper glassware preserves that chill just long enough. A lemon twist’s aromatic oils rise with the first sip, while an olive merges savory and floral botanicals. Each detail, from stemware to garnish, subtly shapes the drink’s character — and your enjoyment.