Martini Connaught Final
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00:00As a cocktail, the martini is like the blues.
00:02The basics are easy, but to master it, that's a real art.
00:06I've come down to the Connell to meet Ago Perone.
00:08He's one of the world's best bartenders,
00:09and he's going to teach me how to make the perfect martini.
00:19I absolutely love martinis,
00:20and I think I know everything about them,
00:22but I think this man, Ago, is going to prove me wrong.
00:24He's just written this amazing cocktail book,
00:27so you're going to teach me the do's and don'ts
00:29of making the perfect martini.
00:35So we need the mixing glass,
00:37bar spoon, strainer,
00:39martini glass,
00:41and very good quality ice.
00:45You chill the mixing glass.
00:50You're so much better at stirring.
00:51You told me you were good.
00:52No, no.
00:54I take my vodka out of the freezer.
00:57Okay, doing well, doing well.
01:03Then we strain the excess of water
01:05to not add extra dilution into the drink.
01:08Okay, and try not to break the glass,
01:10because they are incredibly expensive.
01:16And we add one part of vermouth.
01:19So at the Connell bar,
01:21the ratio for the Connell martini is 50%
01:24and the Connell martini is 5 to 1.
01:27One part is 15 millimetres.
01:30So we take the measure.
01:34And 15 millimetres is the first line here.
01:38So do it for me.
01:40Thank you.
01:40I'll let you do it for yourself.
01:42I'll try not to spill it.
01:43It's okay.
01:44Nobody's watching you.
01:47I have history of spilling on camera,
01:50so there we go.
01:52But once you are in a Connell bar,
01:53you absorb the costume.
01:56Absorb the excellence.
01:57And you will be fantastic.
01:58Don't worry.
02:02And then we add the gin.
02:04Okay.
02:05I know that you love the Connell bar so much.
02:07You are in the spirits of the Connell bar.
02:08Yes.
02:09Therefore, we use the Connell bar gin.
02:11And what's your take on the preference
02:14between gin or vodka?
02:15What difference does it make?
02:16I think it's all about the guest,
02:18what is their preference, first of all.
02:20My personal preference is gin.
02:22I do drink vodka as well.
02:24Okay.
02:24If I do go for...
02:26Do you think it's a little bit more flavour in the gin?
02:27There is more botanicals, more aromas
02:29that ultimately combined with the vermouth and the bitters,
02:33they create more nuances of flavour.
02:35Okay, great.
02:37So how much of this are we putting in?
02:38This is five parts.
02:39So if 15 millimetres is one part,
02:42five parts is 75.
02:44Yeah.
02:50Why the long pour?
02:51No, this is not a long pour.
02:52The long pour is coming later.
02:54This is just a normal pour.
02:56I'm going to spill it somewhere.
02:57You don't have to go high.
02:58Is this going any...
02:59Does it make any difference?
03:00So is it right the way to the top?
03:01You stay closer to the mixing glass
03:03so you avoid any spillage.
03:05So just right to the top?
03:06Voila, yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:06Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
03:08Fantastic.
03:09There we go.
03:10Huzzah!
03:10Voila.
03:15Okay.
03:16So in the Connell, we have five different infusions,
03:19bitters, their tincture,
03:23which each of them, they have a specific flavour
03:26and each of them kind of match with your moods.
03:30Voila, here we go.
03:32Okay, nice.
03:33And which one is this?
03:34This is Doctorago,
03:35which is a combination of ginseng and bergamot.
03:38Okay, fantastic.
03:39You can use any aromatic bitters that you find on the market.
03:42Bob's worked with us since the very beginning.
03:45Okay.
03:46So we have...
03:47How much am I putting in?
03:48Is that too much?
03:49Two pipettes.
03:50Okay.
03:51Two, two, okay.
03:52Yeah, go for it.
03:54I like that you follow precisely the...
03:57Look, I'm with the...
03:58...instruction.
03:58I'm potentially with, you know, the best bar sender in town.
04:01I've got to do it right.
04:02Yeah, no pressure.
04:03Okay.
04:03A bit more, a bit more.
04:05A bit more?
04:05Okay.
04:09You see, when you execute a cocktail,
04:12or for yourself, or in front of the guest,
04:14or in front of the mirror,
04:16if you put attention in every single step that you do,
04:19how you touch the equipment,
04:21how you put the bitter,
04:22how you stir,
04:23add already this sense of respect for the drink,
04:26which reflects in the final taste.
04:28Also, it looks very pleasant for the guest at home or at the bar.
04:33So the eyes must be placed before the nose and the palate.
04:37Shall we stir it?
04:38Yes.
04:38So what am I doing wrong with my technique?
04:40Because I can't stir like you.
04:42No, let's try again.
04:43I think that's...
04:44Okay, try to keep your other hands on the bottom of the mixing glass.
04:49Ah, so I don't warm up the ice.
04:50Yeah, and stay just...
04:52Yeah, exactly.
04:53In front of the mixing glass, so you're more straight and elegant.
04:59Okay, I'm getting there.
05:00Getting there.
05:01When you pour the liquid, it's much, much easier to stir,
05:05rather than only the ice.
05:07I think that we're done.
05:08Fantastic.
05:09Oh, wow.
05:10God, that smells incredible.
05:12So now when you squeeze the lemon,
05:14I suggest that you use the thumb and the middle finger,
05:17and you put the index behind.
05:20Okay.
05:20So when you squeeze, there is only the light oil coming out.
05:25Okay.
05:26And you don't break any skin with it.
05:29Okay, and so where am I squeezing it?
05:30Over into the glass or into the...
05:31Yeah, but when we pour.
05:33Okay, so not yet.
05:34Not yet.
05:34I was teaching you a little bit of squeezing.
05:38Who knew?
05:38There's a way to squeeze a lemon properly.
05:41Okay, one, two, three, and go up, go up.
05:44Now go with the lemon.
05:49Oh, God, on the table.
05:54You see, making martini cocktail is like a little bit going into deep meditation.
06:01I thought you were going to say, like, making love, and I was like, ooh.
06:04No, you need to be confident with the technique,
06:08because you want to add as much passion as possible to every single step of the process.
06:14Okay.
06:15So as you notice, the lemon oil was squeezed for a little bit far away
06:19to allow only the light one to hug the glass gently.
06:23Okay.
06:24Without having too many dots floating on the top.
06:28I've got to say, this looks pretty good.
06:30Should we give it a go?
06:31Cheers, Ego.
06:32Salute.
06:33Salute.
06:34It's the best martini I've had all day.
06:36Maybe I should try it as well.
06:39I will judge it.
06:44Yeah, you are a good teacher.
06:46Bravo, David.
06:47Bravo.
06:48Bravo.