I have two moods, "I need a glass of wine" and "Only a martini will do". If you happen to follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know that I love both dearly. After a long and sometimes rough day all I want is an extra dirty martini. So in honor of this glorious day I am going to tell you how to order it. I was a bartender for a long time so I am lucky to have the knowledge of many random things.

First, sometimes it can be intimidating when sitting down at your favorite bar to order something that requires a few questions. First, gin or vodka? That's a personal preference but I, myself am a fan of vodka. To me, its a smoother taste.
Dry, wet, or perfect? Say what? This is the Vermouth part. Dry means less vermouth, wet means you want more, and perfect is equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. I like a wet martini.
Shaken or stirred? Are you thinking of James Bond? I, like Mr. Bond prefer it shaken. This is as simple as it sounds, shaken in a tumbler or just stirred.
Straight up or on the rocks means ice or no ice. I do not like ice in my martini at all but some do. If it's shaken then it will be already chilled.
The garnish next, "with a twist" is a lemon or if you're like me, an olive. My very favorite is one goat cheese stuffed olive. A Gibson is just with a different garnish like an onion or even a pickle! Order it that way if you are feeling like living on the edge.
What does dirty mean? Dirty is with a splash of olive juice..I like a little more than a splash.