Very Cold, Very Dry

It’s Thursday night. By the time you read this, I hope it’s the end of your workday, or maybe you took the day off to enjoy the Halloween festivities. For us, we celebrate this holiday by dressing up in our favorite costumes – sweatpants and old t-shirts, with our favorite treat: a very cold, very dry martini.

In the spirit of Halloween, we’re doing something a little bit different. We’re going to give our own recommendations on our favorite martini icons, what we’re listening to, reading, watching, and our recipes. Because if you’re like us, you’d rather sit at home and maybe watch a scary movie or two. Enjoy!

Lindsay’s Favorite Martini Icon of the Week…
Stanley Tucci

Like a martini, Stanley Tucci is a classic – from his suits to his sunglasses, and even sporting a bald head, his image and persona are timeless and carry through all the trends that come and go.

Whenever I’m feeling a little blue, and need a comforting show that is a little less Anthony Bourdain (because whenever I watch him, I am reminded that my favorite series, “Parts Unknown”, will always be a time capsule and nothing new will ever come from him), and a little more a well-revered actor trancing around regions of Italy eating Prosciutto and groaning every time he eats a pasta dish (“Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy”, or the same show that’s recently been aired, “Tucci in Italy”).

But what makes him a martini icon is not only that he showed Ina Garten on her show “Be My Guest” on how to make a martini, but the amount of time he takes to actually make one. Garten claims she has never had a martini (Are we really sure about this? does she just not know what a martini is? Was she playing for the cameras? We’ll never know. But she does compare it to the first time you have sex…so…you decide).

But the recipe he uses, which isn’t shown on camera because of time, takes at least 2.5 minutes of waiting, not including all the ingredients you have to prepare ahead of time. I have tried it, and it definitely makes a smoother martini. But I am not always that patient. Here is the official recipe he uses, which leads me into….

Lindsay’s Martini of the Week:

Stanley Tucci’s Martini

Gin: He uses Tanqueray (not my favorite, but totally up to you if you want to stick to the recipe. You can see our recs here)
Vermouth: Dry Vermouth
Garnish: Lemon Twist and/or Olives (He uses both!)

Recipe:
You’ll need:
Ice
Cocktail Shaker
Cocktail Strainer
Chilled martini glass
1/2 ounce of Dry Vermouth
2-3 ounces of High Quality Gin
Lemon Twist or Olives (He uses both, so have fun!) for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in vermouth. Stir 15 seconds, then let sit 30 seconds. Stir again, then strain out and discard vermouth. Pour gin into beaker and stir 30 seconds. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir again 30 seconds. Let sit another 30 seconds, then stir again quickly. Strain cocktail into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or olives.

Eric’s Martini Icon of the Week…

Milton Berle

A finer wit than I once quipped about Mr. Television, “If it wasn’t for the olives in his martini, he’d starve to death.” That sums up Uncle Miltie perfectly. The first real “television star” in the Golden Age of four channels (Berle regularly achieved a 95% share of the ratings), fixed game shows, and Jackie Gleason stuttering his way through marriage (talk about a drinker, Gleason’s blood might have had a proof, rather a type), Berle was a true talent. He could act, sing, tell jokes, and smoke cigars (usually all at the same time). His early career on variety shows is mostly relegated to YouTube. But savvy streamers can find legendary appearances by Berle on The Muppet Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Beverly Hills, 90210. If you’re looking for something risqué, seek out Berle’s standup on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (not for the faint of heart!)

Eric’s Martini of the Week…

Fans of botanical gins will rejoice in a very cold, very dry martini made with Forthave’s BLUE. Juniper is but one of 18 different botanicals they use to flavor this soft, generous spirit. Notes of green cardamom and mint are there, which means your hand can be lighter on the vermouth so as not to drown out the delicate flavors. BLUE is unfiltered, so once it’s stirred over ice, it will have a sea-pearl  quality in the glass. As precious as it is rare. If you can find a bottle, grab it.

Lindsay’s Playlist This Week…

“Everybody Loves Somebody”, Dean Martin

I’ve been in a very ol’ blue eyes, Rat Pack, 60’s mood lately. Maybe it’s because we went to our favorite chain restaurant and this is all they blast on the playlist. But I can’t stop listening to Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Chet Baker, or Sam Cooke. My favorite this week is a Deano Classic, “Everybody Loves Somebody”. It’s such a classic song, and the only pairing you should have when listening to this song is a martini.

Eric’s Playlist This Week…

Mark Lanegan, “Strange Religion”

Shamelessly pulled from an episode of Parts Unknown, Lanegan’s post-Laurel Canyon alt-folk-pop approach to lyrical songwriting is masterful, wistful, and endlessly engaging. It’s a song for a cold California beach in late January, a downtempo brininess that matches the olives in your martini perfectly. 

Lindsay is watching…

White Collar (USA)

I miss USA era’s of formulaic, but effective and well-acted shows (Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Monk…you name it). My favorite of all time, which I have watched at least 5 times through, is a show about con artist Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), who works as a Criminal Informant for the FBI, under the watch of his boss, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). The writing, acting, chemistry and twists and turns that shock you, yet are comforting, for they will be solved by the next episode, makes this one of my top 5 favorites of all time. Willie Garson, who plays Neal’s sidekick Mozzie, is an even better character than his character on Sex and the City (there I said it!). Watch it on Hulu if you can.

Eric is watching…

A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE (Netflix, 2025)

If the actual news doesn’t make you reach for your cocktail mixer, then this movie certainly will. Fans of Cold War classics like Dr. Strangelove, Fail Safe, or WarGames will revel in this unapologetically hard-boiled thriller about a nuclear attack headed for the USA. Told Rashomon-style three times, it doesn’t so much play with perspectives as it plays with the idea that control is a geopolitical fantasy in the Nuclear/AI Age. Great for a group watch and endless discussion over martinis afterwards. 

Lindsay is reading…

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

Who knew a whole novel about parking would be so interesting? Henry Grabar does a great job talking about how parking is more than just a place to put your vehicle. He explains the political, racial, and social impacts of making parking something that is mandatory for drivers to have, no matter where they go or live.

Eric is reading…

Theodor Storm, The Rider on the White Horse

Definitely not Gandalf fanfic, German author Theodor Storm’s collection of short stories from the late 1800s feel eerily modern in James Wright’s 1964 translation. Love, loss, family, and home are all tightly wound together in these sparse but beautifully evocative stories. Storm was the master of the German Novelle, a style of short story that emphasizes fully-realized characters, gorgeously poetic language, and unique twists (for the nineteenth century). Modern authors from Kafka to Bradbury and even Brazil’s Machado de Assis owe a debt to this chronically underestimated storyteller and poet. 

We hope you enjoyed our recommendations! Comment below on what you’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and even drinking!