Don’t use ice that’s been sitting in the freezer for three years—it tastes like last week’s pizza. Use fresh, clean ice. Also, don’t over-vermouth. A Martini should be dry, not a wet blanket.
And for heaven’s sake, do not add a cherry. That’s a Gibson (if you swap the olive for a pearl onion) or a sacrilege. A cherry in a Dry Martini is like wearing socks with sandals: legally allowed, but spiritually wrong.
