Martini, Straight Up: The Classic American Cocktail

by Lowell Edmunds

From its contested origins in nineteenth-century California; through its popularity among the smart set of the 1930s, world leaders of the 1940s, and the men in the gray flannel suits of the 1950s; to its resurgence among today's Lowell Edmunds traces the history and cultural significance of the cocktail H. L. Mencken called "the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet."

Genres: Booze

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 1998

Reviews

[Patrick Dempsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a reasonably good book, but prospective readers should be aware of what it is and isn't. This is an academic text written like a work of scholarship, its not about Martini recipes or even really their history (for this I might recommend Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar ) It is a book about the Martini as a symbol and the way that symbol has shaped and was shaped by American life in the last 140 odd years.

I read this just after Imbibe, and it takes a different angle for sure, but it did include some other sources that I found instructive.

[John Osman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not a history of the Martini - although it's history is sprinkled throughout. Nor is this book about how to make, or, on should say "properly make," a martini - although you learn much about different ways to make a martini and even the most proper method. Rather, the book is about the symbolism of the martini and how it has evolved over time up to the present "*tini." As such the book is Edmund's interpretation of the martini - including the glass, the drink itself, gin, vermouth and the social setting in which a martini is indulged.

Who would have thought that one could write a book about "the martini" - and complete with footnotes and bibliography. Why didn't I think of this for my own dissertation? One is amazed to find out about the American genesis of the drink and the multiple messages being sent. After reading this book, you will not want your martini served in one of those midget martini glasses. Talk about what is wrong with our society!

This is the second edition of the book by Lowell Edmunds. The book starts with a set of chapters devoted to the various messages of the martini. For instance, a martini is an urbane drink and rustic. These chapters are then followed by a set of chapters which concentrate on the mixed-messages or ambiguities of the martini. For instance, the martini is sensitive but it is also tough. My only real frustration with the book was Edmunds tendency to duplicate or repeat himself throughout the various chapters. The book concludes with a review of the historical aspects of the drink.

While the symbolism was interesting, what I remembered most about the book was the historical tidbits and the different ways to make a martini.

[Alex Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether you like this book depends entirely on whether you like martinis and how willing you are to read a somewhat whimsical and frequently over-the-top academic analysis of the martini, its significance, and its history. Edmunds' treatise is a thankfully short book, and I thought it was kind of fun, however I also spent some time in grad school studying English lit, with the result being that casual references to post-structuralists and Roland Barthes' Mythologies brought back some fun memories of old critical theory classes. I can see such academic indulgences putting off many readers, and truth be told, at times they do come across as overly pedantic. That said, I do think there is an underlying playfulness in the tone of the book that keeps it from going off the deep end and becoming a tiresome and pretentious dud.

[Jacques Bromberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough study of the martini by a rigorous and careful reader. Edmunds interprets the Martini through the lens of semiotics (a la Roland Bartes), as a meaningful American "sign". Comprehensive survey of early-twentieth century letters and fiction in search of the Silver Bullet.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly deep and delightfully broad treatise on the martini, one of the very greatest things manking has ever invented. Read this over several of them.