The Children's Hour Dry Martini
The President's signature cocktail: gin and dry vermouth, icy and clear, prepared by his own hand during a relaxation moment that became legendary. (Alcoholic beverage for adults only — a non-alcoholic version is offered below.)
The President's signature cocktail: gin and dry vermouth, icy and clear, prepared by his own hand during a relaxation moment that became legendary. (Alcoholic beverage for adults only — a non-alcoholic version is offered below.)
At six o'clock, I summoned what I called the children's hour: state papers were put away, and I prepared the Martinis myself, for no one did it quite to my taste. I added my touch — a dash of vermouth, sometimes a drop of something unexpected or a lemon twist, depending on the day's mood. It was not so much the alcohol that mattered as that moment of respite when we talked about everything except the war. A president, you see, is entitled to his quarter-hour of peace.
- •Gin — a generous measure (base)
- •Dry vermouth — a dash (aromatic)
- •Olive or lemon twist — 1 (garnish)
- •Ice — to chill (cold)
The Children's Hour Dry Martini
The President's signature cocktail: gin and dry vermouth, icy and clear, prepared by his own hand during a relaxation moment that became legendary. (Alcoholic beverage for adults only — a non-alcoholic version is offered below.)
Why this dish? Each evening, FDR instituted "the children's hour": state papers were put away and he mixed the Martinis himself, with personal and whimsical recipes that his intimates sometimes found strange.
At six o'clock, I summoned what I called the children's hour: state papers were put away, and I prepared the Martinis myself, for no one did it quite to my taste. I added my touch — a dash of vermouth, sometimes a drop of something unexpected or a lemon twist, depending on the day's mood. It was not so much the alcohol that mattered as that moment of respite when we talked about everything except the war. A president, you see, is entitled to his quarter-hour of peace.
Ingredients (period version)
- Gin — a generous measure (base)
- Dry vermouth — a dash (aromatic)
- Olive or lemon twist — 1 (garnish)
- Ice — to chill (cold)
Ingredients
- Gin — 6 cl (base)
- Dry vermouth — 1 cl (aromatic)
- Ice cubes — a handful (cold)
- Green olive or lemon twist — 1 (garnish)
Method
- Chill a cocktail glass in the freezer or with ice cubes.
- In a mixing glass filled with ice, pour gin and vermouth.
- Stir for about 20 seconds with a spoon, until very cold.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an olive or a lemon twist squeezed over the glass.
How it was made : During Prohibition (1920–1933, repealed under FDR), homemade cocktails became a domestic art. The Martini embodied the casual elegance of interwar American elites.
The contemporary twist : Non-alcoholic "children's hour" version for the whole family: ice-cold tonic water, a squeeze of lime, and a twist, served in the same chilled glass with an olive — the spirit of the ritual, without the gin.
Sources : Henrietta Nesbitt, Presidential Cookbook: Feeding the Roosevelts and Their Guests (1951)
Franklin D. Roosevelt · Charactorium
