There are few pursuits as noble as the quest for the perfect Martini.  Some have dedicated years and countless funds to this endeavor.  And almost certainly some have given their lives in such a pursuit.

I am such a person: questing for the perfect Martini.  And I've got a couple of finalists.

First of all, before you read too far, let's get something straight: I drink gin Martinis made of only the most basic ingredients: gin, vermouth, bitters.  Not some wimpy vodka thing with chocolate in it or cranberry juice and an umbrella or any of the variety of other things that (sickeningly) call themselves Martinis.

Additionally, the I try to only use Bombay Sapphire Gin.  It has a delightful taste and is robust and clean, rarely leaving a hangover or "gin burns" as a friend calls them.  American "Gins" should not even be mentioned in my presence or in the presence of any true Gin.  In case you hadn't noticed, British or London Gin is 94 proof while American "gin" is only 80 proof.  I dunno what to think about regular Bombay as it's 86 proof.  Maybe it comes from somewhere in the mid-Atlantic.

Also, a slight variation in my Martinis.  You see, I hate olives.  Despise 'em.  I can't understand why anyone would repeat the process after trying one the first time.  As such, I garnish either with nothing or with an onion or a twist of lemon.  With an onion, technically, it's called a Gibson.

Anyway, below are my finalists for the perfect Martini.  Give 'em a try and let me know what you think.  Or not.  If you'd like to send me your recipe, go ahead.  No guarantee that I'll try it.

• The Traditional
• The Semi-Traditional
• The Mixed Methanol

If you're a Yahoo Messenger user, download this Martini skin.  (Unzip the file to the Skins sub-directory of where Yahoo Messenger is installed to use it.)