The Best Gifts for Martini Lovers (Besides an Ice-Cold Martini)

Ah, a perfectly made martini. When in the right mood, is there anything better than its bracing crispness? Then there’s the saline hit of the brine, should you take yours dirty, and the yield of an olive’s flesh between one’s teeth while your dining or drinking companion commiserates, flirts, or reveals gossip as juicy as your vodka- or gin-soaked Castelvetrano. (If you’re a twist person, respect, but we’re different.) Sipping on an icy martini really conveys a feeling of glamour and mystery— there’s really no other cocktail that quite embodies elegance and timelessness that same way, nor that hits quite the same (did I mention they’re very strong?). No wonder a martini is the drink of choice for everyone from James Bond to Jay Gatsby to Brian Griffin from Family Guy (yeah, the dog). In fact, the martini is the second most popular drink in America after the margarita, with some bars in New York making more than 1,000 martinis each night.  Once considered an old man drink by Gen Xers and millennials, the martini’s popularity has been majorly revived in recent years, and being a martini-lover has become something of a personality trait. In my early 20s, when I discovered the appeal of the dirty martini, it quickly became my go-to drink at the San Francisco dive bars that occupied that time of my life in the late aughts — I was fine with well vodka as long as the martini was extra, extra dirty (some drinkers, as you’ve likely noticed, revel in saying “filthy” to their bartender). Nowadays, my taste is a bit more dignified and I’ll call my spirit (Tito’s, Belvedere, or Ketel One, depending on my mood) and ask for my drink with only a whisper of brine and, instead, a couple of extra olives. This is the thing about becoming a martini person: This simple drink suddenly becomes a blank slate for your micro-preferences, in the same way espresso does for coffee snobs.  Martinis are having a reawakening, no doubt, and there’s an unprecedented array of martini-centric bar gear, accoutrements, and even merch out there, from jewelry to martini-specific insulated tumblers to high-end olive brine. If you’re hunting for the best gifts for martini lovers, look no further — I’ve skipped the corny stuff and reached straight for the top shelf.  A proper setup for making martinis at home — shaken or stirred The gear you need to make a perfect homemade martini depends on that (frankly worn out) adage: shaken or stirred? The truth is that most bartenders will recommend stirred, but most people in casual bar settings are fine with shaken, and may even prefer it if they like each sip icy. If you’re making martinis at home (or know someone who likes to), a great cocktail kit sets the stage for a better drink. This classic Williams Sonoma set is top of the line; yes, it includes everything you need for a Ritz-caliber martini, but will also come in handy for any other cocktail your recipient wishes to whip up. Williams Sonoma Deluxe Boxed Bar Tool and Shaker Where to Buy: $169.95 at Williams Sonoma For something a bit more affordable but still luxe-feeling, this stirred martini cocktail kit from Barfly comes with an etched 24-ounce mixing glass as well as copper tools that make handsome additions to a bar cart. Barfly Stirred Martini Cocktail Kit Where to Buy: $109.68 at Amazon On the more whimsical side, this best-selling set from Mark & Graham nests into a cute boat, so it’s ornamental even when not in use. If you know anyone with a yacht, well, perfect gift for them.. and we’re not jealous at all, but maybe they should extend an invitation for us to all drink martinis on the deck. Mark & Graham Silver Boat Bar Tool Set Where to Buy: $149 at Mark & Graham The perfect dirty martini brine and olives There is an argument to be (convincingly) made that “soggy, splintered, deflated” “bottom-shelf bulk olives”actually make the best brine — the cheapo Manzanilla and Queen olives that culturally preceded the now ubiquitously trendy Castelvetrano. To be real with you, I adore all olives — the fancy newcomers and artisanal beauties but also the Mezzettas that have been living in the door of my parents’ fridge for my entire life. That being said, this is a story about gifts, and the thing about gifts is that a good one should feel a little bit special, curated, lesser-seen, harder-to-acquire, thoughtful, more premium than what you’d typically buy for yourself. I recently became a big fan of Quincy olives; the olive-to-brine ratio is specifically formulated to make 14 dirty martinis with no waste (of fruit or liquid). The brine itself is just the right level of salty and umami; I’ve made a few friends dirty martinis with it recently and they all commented on how excellent their drinks came out. The recipe is right on the label, so it’s foolproof. Quincy Brine & Olives Where to Buy: $15 at Quincy Another great brand for both brine and olives is Filthy; a friend of mine who works at a high-end Hollywood cocktail bar said that F