The proper way to make a martini:

Fill your cocktail glass with ice water. Let chill a few minutes.

Have a conversation with your guest.

Fill a glass pitcher with hard ice. Pour gin slowly down the side of the pitcher.

Put a few dashes of Dry French Vermouth (Noilly Pratt) or Martini Rossi White Vermouth over the top. Using a 1 to 36 proportion is good. Stir slowly until very cold.

Dump the ice water out of the cocktail glass and gently pour the martini in.

Garnish with olives.

Acceptable gins - Beefeater, Tanqueray especially Tanqueray 10 and Gordon's. Unacceptable gins- Bombay gin or any other flavoured gin.

Twists are for wussies.

Vodka is for posers.

Enjoy.