Martinis have definitely evolved over the past half-century, and not necessarily for the better. There’s a reason Mad Men types could actually take a three-martini lunch and still function through the afternoon. And that old trope of the father returning home after work and enjoying a quick martini before the kids were allowed to pester him, while fairly offensive, was at least plausible.
There are two reasons these scenarios were possible, both which have been undone since the heyday of the martini. First of all, a martini used to be a refined cocktail, served in an appropriate-size vessel — not the jumbo margarita glasses popularized during the "Sex and the City Cosmo” dark ages of drinking. A three-martini lunch from those flagons would pretty much mark the end of anyone’s day. Second, martinis used to actually have vermouth in them, sometimes as much as a 1:1 ratio with the base spirit, which should be gin. Now, people make jokes about “toasting the bottle in the direction of France” or just whispering “vermouth” over the rim of the glass or spraying a scant mist of vermouth over the drink. Then they drink a glass of cold vodka. It that’s what you want, fair enough, but it ain’t a classic martini.
Jon Howard
Jon Howard is the bar director at The Continental (read our recent in-depth review here) and Audrey, and he has plans to bring the martini back to its glory days with a new bar experience at one of The Continental’s two bar areas. Howard's plan is to roll out the new service on New Year’s Eve in conjunction with some other really special celebratory options for the evening that should be announced soon. The back bar at The Continental is being renamed The Vesper Club and will offer an extraordinary flight of martinis and caviar designed to complement each other.
These aren’t your run-of-the-mill paddlefish roe caviars, either. Howard and Continental chef Sean Brock have selected an assortment of exotic caviars ranging from Siberian sturgeon to imperial golden Russian as centerpieces of the five-course pairing experience, which will cost $100 per person. While that might seem steep, we’re not talking about an insignificant amount of caviar — a spoonful will be presented with each drink so that patrons can sip the drink, taste the caviar and return to the drink to see how they play together.
Howard has designed special martinis specifically to complement each caviar, like the clean, buttery and briny California white sturgeon offering. Howard says he was sitting around with Brock looking at an old Waldorf Astoria cocktail book. Both of them commented on how much they love caviar and how a proper cocktail could elevate an already decadent experience. “We already have a really beautiful caviar service at The Continental,” says Howard. “Now I really want to lean into the martinis to help move our cocktail culture forward.”
Four out of five of Howard’s martinis on the menu are vodka-based, but I shan’t quibble since it makes total sense to pair vodka with caviar. While The Continental wants to keep the exact menu a surprise for guests, a sneak peek reveals that Howard has chosen exotic ingredients like pear eau de vie, walnut oil and local Diplomat sake from Proper Sake Co. as components in these creative cocktails.
Howard has consciously chosen specific glassware to showcase the essences within each drink. A crisp vodka and Carpano Bianco martini might appear in a standard conical cocktail glass, while the use of a wine glass might allow the aromas of the walnut oil floating on the surface of the drink to waft into the lucky drinker’s nose above the rim of the glass.
The Vesper Club experience will be available by reservation, separate from a full meal at The Continental, making it an ideal pre-dinner, post-dinner or instead-of-dinner option for a special night out. Howard hopes to offer availability for walk-ups, but he intends to control the pace of service over the course of 45 minutes to an hour to space out the tasting and allow for palates to reset between courses.
“I’ll be stirring some cocktails, throwing others and serving straight from the freezer, whatever is best for the drink," says Howard. "I want to take people through the peaks and valleys of flavors. I’ve been learning about the journey of a tasting menu from Sean, and I want to practice storytelling through liquid.”
Because the cocktails have been so intentionally constructed to complement each specific caviar, substitutions will not be allowed, but you’ll be in great hands if you trust whichever talented mixologist is behind the stick at The Continental to steward you through the experience. Howard is also developing a more robust à la carte martini menu that will be available from the main bar and during dinner service, so there’s sure to be something for just about everyone who appreciates a great martini.
After kicking off on NYE, The Vesper Club will continue forward every evening that The Continental is serving. Reservations for this opulent journey of food and drink will go live on Dec. 1 via Resy, so get ready to treat yourself in 2022. You’re worth it!
