Watch: Stanley Tucci's Perfect Martini Recipe
As the holidays approach, if there was ever a time to brush up on our cocktails, it's now. Thankfully, Vogue caught up with Tucci to ask him his tips for holidays hosting, as well as how to make a perfect cocktail.
Over the last several years, in addition to being one of the finest actors of his generation, Tucci has emerged as a sort of renaissance man in the world of food and drink. He's the author of two cookbooks, the host of CNN's "Searching for Italy," and his memoir—released last year—was called "Taste: My Life Through Food."
In 2020, he went viral for an Instagram video in which he made an up Negroni rather than one on the rocks. "That's the way I like them," Tucci shared. "You're not fighting through the ice, like a seal." But over the holidays, Tucci prefers a martini. It's no surprise, then, that Tucci is now a brand partner for Tanqueray's No. Ten gin. "They approached me, and how could I say no," said Tucci. Tanqueray No. Ten, for those unfamiliar, is the classic brand's small batch gin crafted from fresh citrus fruits.
According to Vogue, Tucci loves a martini not because of its strong alcohol content, but due to the art involved in making it. "Part of it is the ceremony," he said. "You watch somebody make a martini properly, and it's really beautiful. It's ceremonial and elegant—it elevates a moment. Your whole day gets better. And it's not the booze, a huge part of it is the gesture of it." Below is Tucci's recipe for the perfect martini.
Ingredients
"A martini will taste different in different glasses—but don't ask me why," said Tucci. "I suppose it does a different thing to the flow of the aroma. The glass really depends on your mood: sometimes you want a proper triangular glass, and other times you want a gorgeous Nick & Nora glass. Or a coupe. A coupe is really nice. You can then chill the glass. I don't do that at home, though—I don't have room in my fridge."
Next, take a soft half-ounce of dry vermouth and pour it in a cocktail shaker, then add ice. Next, stir them together. "You can do it shaken," he said, "but you're diluting it a lot, and you're going to get those little shards of ice no matter what you're straining it through. Then, dump out the vermouth and keep the ice—or, you can keep the vermouth. Add in your 1.5 to 2 ounces of gin. Stir it again, let it sit, then add it to the chilled glass."
After that, garnish it, don't forget the food, and set the scene.
"Because there are so many citrus notes in the Tanqueray No. Ten gin, I add a grapefruit peel. It's gorgeous, and not what you would normally think. You could also do a lemon twist or olives, too—it changes the taste distinctly. It depends on your tastes. I'd serve a martini with substantial canapes, finger sandwiches, and stuff like that. Oysters are ideal. I had Oysters Rockefeller with a martini a couple of weeks ago, and that was really good." And then, according to Tucci, you need the music.
"Good music. I like jazz. I love Paolo Nutini. He's a Scottish singer, and he's extraordinary. And Diana Krall I listen to a lot."