With an iconic v-shaped glass and an elegant simplicity, the martini is the kind of timeless drink that conjures everything from swinging speakeasies to old-school Hollywood glamor. However, as with most "old" classic cocktails, there is some debate about the martini's history and what the original martini recipe called for.

The martini may have been derived from similarly-named drinks, and the first recipe purportedly featured gin, sweet Italian vermouth, orange bitters, and sugar syrup. The drink was stripped down to just dry French vermouth and gin or vodka, but aromatic orange bitters add depth and nuance to that the more gin-focused style has lost.

To make a classic martini, you need 1 ½ oz of London dry gin, 1 ½ oz of sweet Italian vermouth, a dash of orange bitters, a tsp of sugar syrup, a small piece of lemon peel, and a green olive for garnish. Mix the gin, vermouth, bitters, and syrup, pour the mix into a martini glass, twist the lemon peel over the drink, and drop the olive in.