The Truth About the Martini
The martini has experienced a remarkable cultural resurgence in recent years, partly due to social media appeal and meme culture, but more fundamentally because it remains the perfect antidote to modern life—a serious drinker's reward that doesn't mask its alcohol but instead delivers it cold and bracing to calm the mind after a difficult day. Ruck traces the drink's history through Esquire's archives, noting that it was deeply unfashionable in the 1970s and '80s when young people rejected it as a symbol of bourgeois decadence, before its gradual rehabilitation into a drink of timeless sophistication. The piece combines personal anecdotes about martinis consumed around the world with practical guidance on preparation (ice cold, straight up, gin or vodka) to argue that the cocktail's enduring appeal lies in its uncompromising nature and its essential role in the lives of serious, busy people.