Dr. Francois
Well-Known Member
Pretty much this.
Call me low-class, but to my mind, Beefeater makes the best martinis.
Oh, I prefer a twist rather than an olive. But this is just because I don't like olives.
I'm going to out-slum you, Palefire.
My favorite cocktail gin, after extensive testing, is Seagram's. It is one of the few non-artisan USA gins that still infuses the botanicals instead of adding flavoring extracts. Beefeater is my second choice.
Many other gins beat it in flavor, novelty, or complexity, but I save those for drinking neat or chilled. I don't mind brutally shaking Seagram's...it likes it a bit rough.
To your other point, I've started tossing a lemon sliver into the shaker with the gin, vermouth, and bitters. Wife likes it.