What’s next for the Martini?
It seems the direction of travel is colder, smaller, dirtier, more savoury, more personalised Martinis.
Recent trend coverage reflects this. Decanter says the Dirty Martini revival has become part of a wider savoury and umami drinking trend, with brines, pickles, olives, nori, and other culinary ingredients turning up more often in cocktails. Delish reports on a wider move back towards simpler classics after years of hyper-complicated drinks, which makes the Martini feel very 2026: minimal build, maximum opinion.
How do you drink your Martini?
Simple on paper, less so in practice
The Martini seems like the most easy drink to make. A couple of ingredients, a garnish. Voila. In reality, ordering one is absurdly intimate.
Gin or vodka. Wet or dry. Dirty or clean. Olive or twist. Frozen or stirred. Big glass or mini. The many variations and distinctions in style mean that a request for a Martini is really the start of a conversation, not an order.
This is said to be the favourite joke of King Charles III: “If you’re ever stuck on a deserted island, simply claim to know how to make a Martini and somebody will appear to tell you otherwise.”
This diversity has given rise to the many eras of the Martini. The Dry Martini era, the Vodka Martini era, the Dirty Martini comeback, the Freezer Martini, the Gibson, the 50:50, the Mini Martini. That’s just the style. Then there’s all the different ways and means to achieve the perfect Martini chill. Freezer Martinis, frozen bottles, glacier glassware, precise dilution, low temperature viscosity.
Every generation thinks it has fixed the Martini, and every generation is wrong in a slightly new way.
What would The Tucc’ do?
What’s next for the Martini?
A recent email from a PR representing two London bartenders revealed an interesting perspective. Both think the future is freezing cold and pretty dirty.
“Savoury martinis are making a strong comeback. In the same vein as the Tomato + Cucumber Martini we serve at Kamara, guests are increasingly gravitating towards vegetal, umami-driven profiles. Our version is a riff on the Gibson, served slightly wetter than a classic dry martini, delivering freshness, savoury depth, and balance”.
“Martinis should always be served exceptionally cold, with precise dilution. In my opinion, the best way to achieve this is by pre-batching your preferred martini recipe and storing it in the freezer. Served tableside straight from a frozen bottle (the ideal temperature is around -15°C), creating a smooth, velvety texture with enhanced viscosity and mouthfeel.”
– Zinio Fernandes, general manager, Kamara.
“Dirty and pickled is dominant right now – not just olive brine, but pepper brines, pickle brines, gherkins and unexpected vegetables. Very filthy is also making a comeback (laced with Mezcal) like the ‘Almoth filthy Martini’ we serve at cato”.
“But alongside this, the classic is being served properly again, at extremely low temperatures. And I’d say mini Martinis are here to stay – a new generation wants dry Martinis, and the mini lets them explore more of the menu in one sitting.”
– Angelos Bafas, co-founder, cato (Covent Garden).
The Martini is really very dirty these days
How do you drink a Martini?
Perhaps the real future of the Martini is not tomato, pickle, mezcal, freezer, or mini. It is choice. If people understand the various ways a Martini can shine and feel confident exploring them, we’ve probably done quite a good job as an industry. In fact, we’ve probably earned a Martini.
Personally, I enjoy both sides of the cocktail. From a Dirty Martini that is bordering on sex-positive slutty to a cold, crisp direct Martini that leans into Noël Coward’s dictum: “A perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy.”
I also have a friend who says the best Martini recipe is to swap the dry for sweet vermouth, add an equal amount of Campari and garnish with an orange peel. The scamp.
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