THE TEMPLES OF THE COCKTAIL MARTINI

The audiophile's private Martini

A perfect Martini cocktail is, like a classic V8 Bristol or a special custom-built EMT, a very private experience.

It is certainly possible (and indeed advisable) to savour an excellent Martini in some of the best watering holes of the planet; but our late fellow L.J.K. Setright would surely agree if we say here that the best of them all will be the one that the real enthusiast mixes for himself or, exceptionally, for one close friend, in the soothing ambience of his own house, choosing the right glass as well as the best gin or the quality of the olive without any hurry, for the pleasure of making it as much as for the experience of tasting it.

When you have mixed a perfect Martini (now this audiophile's favourite gin is the 60° Blackwoods, whilst for the vodka he recommends the russian Imperia) and want to enjoy it, the music that you will listen to will be very important: the reproduction system must be at least of the same high quality as your 'personal' Martini. Therefore, only the best broadcast-level 'Schallplatten-Wiedergabe-Maschine' will do: a 'BBC' EMT 950 ('950-347') with its natural companion, the TSD 15 Tondose, is the natural choice to listen to legendary J.S. Bach Weihnachtsoratorium directed by Karl Richter on a classic Archiv 12" vinyl. To maintain a sober, German-oriented flavor in this surround, the Martini will be poured in a crystal WMF stem glass. The other components of the Anglo-USA-German reproduction system will remain a very private affair, of course