Ellington

The holidays are the season of martinis, when even feeble, febrile suburbanites accustomed to buttery chardonnays might indulge in a cosmopolitan. As we enter martini season, however, I feel obligated to offer a vital piece of advice: Don't screw around on the liquor. It's one thing to order a "vodka tonic," an order that will get you "charcoal-filtered Peasant Hill" from a plastic bottle. Hopefully, the tonic and lime will kill the flavor of the vodka.

When it comes to martinis, however, you've got to go for the best. The difference in cost is only a dollar or two, and rarely is a dollar or two better spent.

If you want to change things up, consider an excellent, idiosyncratic vodka like Ciroc. There is actually some debate over whether Ciroc should be called a vodka because it is fermented from grapes, but the truth is, vodka can be made from almost anything. Many are under the mistaken impression that vodka must be fermented from potatoes, but these days, few vodkas are. (Chopin is my favorite potato vodka.) The vast majority of vodkas, including top-shelf brands like Gray Goose and Belvedere, are fermented from grain.

You can hardly tell that Ciroc, which is manufactured in France, is different from any other luxury vodka, but there are some subtle differences. For one, it has an elusive sweetness. Don't let this scare you off, because I am talking about the merest hint. Ciroc uses grapes that have over-ripened on the vine, like those used to make dessert wines. After being distilled, the sugars have become alcohol, but there is still some of that organic ambrosia that makes Sauternes so delectable. Ciroc also has a roundness, a fullness, in the mouth that is unusual.

If you prefer gin in your martinis, give Hendrick's a try. (Full disclosure: Some gins like Tanqueray remind me of deodorant, and I have been known to go on rants about all that is wrong with the British while drinking gin.) The worst thing about Hendrick's is that it has a snobby marketing campaign. The bottle warns, amid proclamations of Hendrick's fanciness: "It is not for everyone."

What makes Hendrick's unique, apart from its arrogance, is that it is infused with just a touch of cucumber. Again, this is not a flavor that leaps at your face from the martini glass—Hendrick's is not a flavored gin. But that hint of cucumber combined with the crisp, smooth glory of a fine gin makes for an adventure worth taking.