Martinis at Midnight

The Classic Vodka Martini

The Classic Vodka Martini

What man just does it for every woman? Well James Bond of course. This evening I was inspired by my girlfriend and her love of the Classic “James Bond” martini. Every woman has to love James Bond, at least one of them. He is one of the men that are responsible for making the martini famous. This is a version of the original. Many people believe that a martini is only made with Gin. With the influence of James Bond if has been modified to having the option of vodka. Top Shelf Vodka is a must on this one. Vodka with a splash to ½ oz. of Vermouth depending on how dry you like it. Now, James always asked for it “Shaken not stirred” but I prefer my martini stirred, as we do not want to cause too much chaos and I do not like to bruise my Top Shelf Vodka. Now the garnish is a personal preference: olives, lemon twist or an onion. I prefer a lemon twist; my girlfriend is very specific about having two olives. She states that one is not enough and three makes it to dirty. The beauty of the Classic martini is that it becomes very personal and it is to each their own.

 

It was a casual catch up night with my girlfriend at our favorite intimate and cozy martini lounge. We both decided that it was just a classic night, nothing too fruity. I was having the Classic my way (so not James Bond) and she was having the Classic her way (so very James Bond) I found myself truly inspired by this girlfriend as do most women I know. Why is she so inspiring? Well because she is that one woman in few who manages to do the juggle and still have a good time. The juggle I am referring to is the marriage. The big M word, the word that makes men cringe and the word that almost every women wants to hear. This martini conversation was very different because I asked her to give me the truth; the good, the bad and the ugly on marriage. I was definitely more than skeptical; we have all seen so many marriages fail. How can a beautiful woman juggle a high stress career, two kids and still have an adoring husband? And still laugh and have fun? We had to order another Classic martini because I was sensing that this was going to be a long drawn out answer. My girlfriend pondered this question and after a sip of her martini she answered, “Well it is simple really, you just have to keep the connection a priority,” I was speechless, what the hell kind of answer was that? I was waiting for a great mysterious sex story or the key was having an affair. I never expected the success of her 10 year marriage was something simple and normal. I sipped my martini with a perplexed look on my face and said “Is that like communication?” because I know for a fact that the sentence men hate the most is

 

 

“Honey let’s talk” aargh.

We laughed and order another martini as she explained the connection. Being connected to your partner is all about having fun. Laughing together and being goofs. The closeness is developed by hanging out together and not talking about money or the kids but by talking about each other or just being with each other! My girlfriend explained that the connection is why she decided to be married and she admitted that in her crazy life maintaining the connection requires effort. Sometimes the connection is just one more thing a couple has to fit in, but it is the glue that holds all the rest together. I realized that the connection is like the vodka in the classic “bond” martini is has to be strong and savored. And like any good martini it should also be honored. My girlfriend also mentioned another key point that quality time spent with your partner does not have to be expensive. Couples tend to think that the romantic weekend getaway will solve all the problems or rekindle the spark. But unfortunately it usually back fires because there are too many expectations. Frequent and spontaneous time together or a planned weekly date night are usually ten times more beneficial than the once a year romantic (lets save our relationship) weekend. I was startled by this information but we raised our martinis and toasted marriage. It was to bad, I was hoping for a good sexual tidbit but oh well!

Conclusion:

The Classic “Bond” martini which is very smooth is similar to the first few years of marriage. If you shake the martini to hard and bruise the vodka and vermouth it can create some chaos. Chaos is generally what happens to the lives of a married couple which consists of high stress careers and children. The key to survival is the connection which when stirred gently and savored is always strong just like the Classic Vodka martini. Always remember the two olives because life is too short to drink a martini with only one and marriage requires two.

What is the key to the M word, yes the word marriage? The word that makes every man cringe! Is the key to marriage a great sex secret or an affair, maybe it is something much stronger? Like the strong vodka martini.

Copyrights: 2005 by Marjory Cheales