Why Is There a Martini on Every Menu Right Now?
Even as people drink less, bars are leaning hard on the drink’s profit power in cities like New York and London.
Icy cold martinis, a hot order at the UK-based steakhouse group Hawksmoor.
Source: HawksmoorWalk into a New York City bar or restaurant, and there’s one drink you are guaranteed to see on the menu: a martini. Often, there will be several — a classic with a twist, one so dirty it’s cloudy and one served subzero and cold as ice. You’ll see a similar picture in cities like London and Los Angeles.
Despite the well-documented fact that people are drinking less than they used to, the alcohol-heavy martini is getting star billing everywhere. A well-made martini — gin or vodka, mixed with a little vermouth so it slides down like liquid silk — is popular with seasoned cocktail veterans and casual imbibers alike. They’re a safe order when drink lists are increasingly filled with unrecognizable names and products at a premium price. A martini is the most reliable, adaptable and stylish cocktail out there.