Go Old Hollywood Glam with the Perfect Martini

"Pour it up." -Rihanna

Shaken, not stirred.

The cocktail directions are so infamous, you may have even known the phrase before ever even watching one of the legendary spy movies. Clearly, James Bond is on to something.

A martini evokes sophistication in a beverage— or maybe you enjoy the classic cocktail because like Brian Griffin of Family Guy, you just enjoy a stiff drink. Whatever the reason, you should be able to enjoy one out on the town and during a night at home. But before you tackle the bar cart to craft the perfect olive-vodka-vermouth concoction (or gin!), you’re going to want to take the advice of Julian Cox, the beverage director of Fanny’s, the restaurant and café at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

“We all love going out to a bar after a long day and enjoying a deliciously cold martini,” says Cox. “For some, the term martini comes in many different fashions: some like it with vodka, some prefer the classic way with gin, and some enjoy a martini split half and half, half gin/vodka and half dry vermouth. However you fancy your martini, there are some simple tips that can help you create the best darn martini… at home.”

See also: Academy Museum Restaurant Debuts Dinner Service

Read Cox’s martini essential tips below.

1. Keep your booze in the freezer. Who doesn't love an ice cold martini?
2. If you’re using dry vermouth, make sure you keep it in the refrigerator. Dry vermouth is wine-based, so keep in mind that it does go bad after a while. However, you can prolong the life of the vermouth by simply keeping it chilled.
3. Use high quality ice. If you think about how much dilution happens when you make a cocktail, you'll begin to realize that it's very important to use high quality ice. Your ice melts when mixing and it turns into water, so to keep your martini tasting clean, use filtered ice.
4. Last but not least: use good olives! There are some pretty bad olives out there, but there are also many delicious ones that we bartenders love to use. Next time while you're at the grocery store, look for Castelvetranos. You can sometimes find them stuffed, too, which can also be delicious, depending on your preference.

Fanny's is located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd. 90036.