These tips will help you hit arctic temps – the key to greatness in this classic cocktail.

The best Martini is an ice-cold Martini, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Why? Because this classic cocktail is a strong one – it’s just two alcoholic ingredients, after all – and frosty temps help to finesse the final drink. Maximising the chill works to create a silky-smooth texture and soften the harshness of the booze, while also playing a key role in that all-important dilution. Besides, a room-temperature cocktail should be no one’s idea of a good time.

There are countless twists on the Martini, whether that’s vodka or gin, olives or lemon peel, the addition of funky brines, fruity riffs (we’re looking at you, Pornstar Martini) and just about everything else you can imagine. There are Martinis for the purists, Martinis that probably aren’t even Martinis, and the list goes on. But common among the lot is the importance of keeping things icy cold, especially when making the classic.

So, how cold should a Martini actually be? Extremely cold. The best temperature to serve a Martini is somewhere between -10 and -5 degrees celsius. We’re talking about the kind of cold that sensitive teeth might not handle very well. It really does taste better, and that’s surely the goal when making cocktails at home. And how do you make the iciest Martini? We’re so glad you asked.

1. Freeze your glass

Open the freezer: it’s time to ditch that six-month-old bolognaise and half-loaf of bread with freezer burn to make room for a couple of glasses. Chilling a glass before making a cocktail has become pretty common for all kinds of drinks, but when it comes to a Martini, it’s essential. All that careful chilling that happens when making a Martini (as you’ll see below) can be foiled at the last hurdle if it’s strained into a glass off the shelf. So, pop your coupe or martini glass into the freezer for about 15 to 30 minutes to let it frost up first. While you’re at it, pop your mixing glass in there, too.

2. Freeze your base spirit

When making a classic Martini, you have a choice of gin or vodka as your base, which then gets mixed with dry vermouth. Now, you can’t freeze vermouth because of its lower alcohol content (it’ll go slushy and change the flavour), but it should always live in the fridge for peak freshness. You can, however, freeze both gin and vodka, which will give you the biggest advantage when making an ice-cold Martini. You might need to ditch some other forgotten items in the freezer to fit them in, but it’s worth it.

3. Mix your Martini for longer

If you want to take James Bond’s lead, go right ahead and shake your Martini with ice – we won’t judge. But most purists believe the gin or vodka should be stirred with the vermouth in a mixing glass with ice (a healthy amount of quality cubes) before straining it into that frosty glass. It’s tempting to give these two ingredients a quick stir, but this process should take longer than you think – it will help to fully integrate the flavours and allow for decent chill and dilution. The perfect balance is up to you, so sample a little as you stir to see how the flavours and texture changes. This way, you can find the point you like best.

4. Cheat with the Freezer Door Martini

The ultimate hack to getting the iciest Martini possible is to prep ahead with our Freezer Door Martini. As the name suggests, this batched Martini lives in the freezer, so it’s ready to pour at a moment’s notice – at the perfect temperature. Our recipe includes a little water to account for the dilution during the mixing step, which this version skips. And by sitting for some time in the freezer, all the elements are left to meld together nicely. This also happens to be one of the best ways to look like an amazing host – you get to pull out a fancy cocktail that you prepared earlier.