A martini list can leave you uncertain about how one drink differs from the next, and that hesitation is common even at a refined cocktail bar in Ubud. The martini looks simple, yet it is one of the most varied cocktails in the world, shifting from bone-dry to savoury to softly floral with the smallest changes. Understanding the best martini cocktails and what sets each apart turns a long list into something you can read with confidence. What follows is a simple guide to the styles worth knowing, and the three worth tasting in person.
Understanding the Martini
Before sorting the variations, it helps to know what a martini actually is.
At its core, a martini is a spirit and vermouth, stirred over ice and served up in a chilled glass. Traditionally, that spirit is gin, though vodka has its place too. From this simple template comes remarkable variety, because small changes to the ratio of spirit to vermouth, the garnish, and any added modifiers each shift the drink’s character. That is why two martinis can share a name yet taste nothing alike, and why a few reference points make ordering far easier.
What Are the Three Types of Martinis
A useful place to start is with the three classic styles that describe how much vermouth a martini carries.
The three styles below differ mainly in how much vermouth they carry, which shapes the whole character of the drink.
| Type | Vermouth | Character |
| Dry | Only a small measure | Crisp and spirit-forward |
| Wet | More than a dry martini | Softer and more aromatic |
| Perfect | Equal parts dry and sweet | Rounded and balanced |
These are not rigid rules but reference points for the character you want before the first sip.
The Best Martini Cocktails
Beyond the question of vermouth, a handful of martini variations have stood the test of time. These are the ones that have earned their place on bar menus the world over, each taking the template in a different direction and each worth knowing.
Think of them as a tasting map rather than a strict canon, where a garnish, a splash of brine, or a swapped spirit reshapes the drink while keeping it recognisably a martini.
The Dry Martini
The benchmark of the category, the dry martini is gin and a small measure of dry vermouth, stirred until cold and garnished with a lemon twist or an olive. Clean, crisp, and spirit-forward, it is the classic in its simplest form.
The Gibson
A dry martini in all but its garnish. In place of a twist or olive, the Gibson is finished with a pickled cocktail onion that lends a subtle savoury note. Elegant simplicity with a quiet twist.
The Dirty Martini
A dry martini with a splash of olive brine added to the glass. The brine turns the drink savoury and briny, with a cloudier look than a classic martini, and the amount used sets how “dirty” it is.
The Vesper
Some variations change the spirit itself. The Vesper famously combines gin and vodka with a measure of aromatised wine, showing how far the martini template can stretch.
Choosing the Martini That Suits You
Knowing the styles is one thing; choosing what to explore is another.
The simplest approach is to follow your own taste. If you like things crisp and spirit-led, begin with a dry martini or a Gibson. If you prefer something softer, a wet or perfect martini rewards you. For a savoury mood, the dirty martini delivers, and for the curious, the Vesper opens new ground. The real pleasure comes from comparing them, which is where a considered bar earns its place, building each with care and guiding you towards the one that suits the moment.
The Martini Flight at Pinstripe Bar
Reading about martinis is useful, but tasting them side by side is where the styles come alive.
Pinstripe Bar offers a Martini Flight, three martinis served together, that turns theory into an evening. Each is built on Tanqueray No. TEN, yet each takes a different path, a clear lesson in how one base spirit can become three distinct drinks and the best way to taste the range in a single sitting.
The Pinstripe Martini
Tanqueray No. TEN, The Lost Explorer’s Salmiana, Dolin Dry, mango, jalapeno, and elderflower. Bright and savoury with a gentle warmth of chilli, it is the most adventurous of the three, layering tropical fruit and a whisper of heat over a dry backbone.
The Apéritif Martini
Tanqueray No. TEN, Dolin Dry, Cocchi Americano, and Luxardo Bitter Bianco. This is the classic in its purest form, dry, clean, and crisp, with a gentle bitter lift that makes it a fine opener to an evening.
The Sandalwood Martini
Tanqueray No. TEN, Cocchi Americano, sandalwood, cananga, and pomelo. Soft, aromatic, and floral, it trades sharpness for perfume, the most fragrant of the trio and a graceful note to finish on.
Reserve Your Table at Pinstripe Bar
The finest way to understand the best martini cocktails is to taste them in sequence, and the Martini Flight is built for exactly that. Settle in as the light softens over the Valley of the Kings, then move from the bright Pinstripe to the crisp Apéritif and the fragrant Sandalwood, each a different face of the same classic. As a cocktail bar in Ubud where the martini is given real care, Pinstripe Bar makes a considered evening easy to come by. Reserve your table and taste the three side by side.
