The Best Martini Glasses: Dukes Bar

Martini Glass from Dukes Bar in London

Dukes Bar is an institution in London, and is credited for making the martini famous. We would say they have at least inspired the most famous martini of all. Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond was a regular at Dukes. It’s said that his famous line about James Bond’s “shaken, not stirred” martini, comes from Dukes. Whatever the case, the London mainstay doesn’t just know how to mix and serve a martini, but they might actually have invented it.

About Dukes Bar

Dukes Bar is located in the famed Dukes Hotel, a posh and iconic hotel in the St. James neighborhood of London. The hotel first opened in 1908 and has since (despite a facelift) maintained a quintessentially British feel. At Dukes you’ll find Edwardian interiors and a Cognac and cigar garden.

The hotel has been catering to business people for decades. However the fame and legacy of the hotel have almost everything to do with the bar and its legendary martinis. The bar became a famous haunt because of bartender, Salvatore Calabrese’s ice-cold martinis first served in the 80’s. Before even Ian Flemming enjoyed the cocktail, Calabrese was tailoring his drinks to the likes of the hard to impress columnist Stanton Delaplane. Delaplane liked his drink extra strong and cold.

The Calabrese method (which has become the Dukes martini) involves mixing frozen liquor with a dash of vermouth. Originally the recipe included no stirring or shaking, as the somewhat lethal alcohol content became part of the charm. Today, guests travel as much for the classic London ambiance as they do to try an original of one of their favorite martinis.

The Dukes martini has an inexplicably simple flavor profile with perfection crystalizing in the details. There is near-frozen gin, a dash of vermouth, and the zest (and zest oils) of a lemon.

Then there’s also the oh-so important vessel which brings the liquor to the lips. In other words, it is the martini glass which makes the martini. These martini glasses appear delicate, but they have sturdy stems and thick glass that helps the martini stay frozen.

History Company makes the martini glasses, which come at two for $75. For a cocktail worth around $26 in its own right, the glasses are exceedingly worth it. The crystal glasses are lead-free, and formed from a single piece of crystal, making their structure unique. This is the gift to give yourself to entertain like a professional, or treating a bestie with the gift they didn’t know they needed.