As stated by Ms. Franky Marshall, a bartender and educator present, the brilliance of the martini lies in its straightforwardness. “There’s not too much fuss,” she remarks about the cocktail, which opens the door to endless creativity. “A bartender [can] add their own twist to it, and the drink can continually evolve,” she explains.
By the time it was five o’clock, the total martini tally was quite impressive. Nabil Sarwar and Jack McNeil, two attendees from Brooklyn, had downed nine martinis collectively. That’s a hefty amount of alcohol (don’t fret, they were staying hydrated as well), but for Sarwar, that was precisely the intention. “We haven’t caught up in a while,” he shares, “and [McNeil] was like, ‘let’s drink like we used to,’ and I was like, absolutely I want to get smashed.”
Not everyone wandering the Martini Expo was a cocktail enthusiast. “I know very little about martinis,” Jake Manabat expressed. “I typically prefer wine or vodka soda.” However, after attending several workshops (and a yet-to-be-revealed number of martinis), Manabat may have found a new appreciation. “It’s become somewhat dull to simply order a white wine,” he stated. “Now I can proudly request a vodka martini, and ask for a one to five ratio.”
Is the demise of the martini age anywhere near?
Not according to the slightly inebriated participants. For them, the martini holds a timeless allure. “It’s sophisticated, it’s worldly, it’s stylish, it’s pricey,” remarks Matt Levy, a self-taught mixologist. “It indicates that you’re making reasonably good choices in your drinking journey.”
An iconic cocktail like this never goes out of fashion. “It’s akin to asking if hamburgers will be out of style?” Levy comments. “Martinis are eternal. The martini is limitless.”
Regarding the Martini Expo itself, there are hints of potentially hosting the event in various locations nationwide, but Simonson isn’t ready to confirm anything just yet. “Many attendees suggested we hold the Expo in other cities,” he mentions. “We’ll make that decision in the upcoming year. For now, we need to take a few weeks to recuperate and regain our energy. Maybe a few martinis will assist in that process.”
