Anthony Bourdain Introduced Anderson Cooper To This Popular Cocktail

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Anthony Bourdain was known for his strong opinions. He was outspoken, and fans loved him for it. He hated the American neophobia tradition of avoiding local foods when traveling. Yet, he was a bit of a walking contradiction. Bourdain had some savage food takes — he railed against other celebrity chefs for being basic, yet loved fast food mac and cheese. However, he always supported the underdog, shining light on certain foods and locations that he felt deserved praise, stating, for example, that Montevideo, Uruguay is one of the most underrated food cities.

He was decidedly a fan of cocktails, and while the cocktail he introduced Anderson Cooper to has waxed and waned in popularity over the years, it's definitely not an underdog, it's a classic. In a YouTube clip from his show Parts Unknown, you can see Bourdain introduce Anderson Cooper to his first martini, one with Hendricks gin, while they talk about the food, history, and culture of Senegal.

While the martini may not have been Bourdain's favorite cocktail, he knew he could trust one at Bemelmans in New York's Upper East Side. Bourdain liked his martinis with Bombay Sapphire gin, and an extra olive, as he told Vice in a 2016 interview, saying, "I'm not ordinarily a martini drinker... But this is the sort of place that demands a martini. They make a very good one, a very large one, and I plan on a long nap after this."

While there is a debate over gin and vodka in a martini, we're going to go with Bourdain's choice and use Bombay Sapphire gin. Bombay Sapphire has the classic gin juniper notes — juniper berries being a key ingredient for any spirit to be classified as a gin. It has a bright citrus flavor, strong alcohol notes, with a touch of floral sweetness. If you're looking for something more straightforward and super dry, you may want to go with a standard London dry-style gin, and if you'd like more floral, sweetness, Hendrick's gin might be more up your alley.

While some recipes may call for just a rinse or a spray of dry vermouth in a chilled martini glass, the classic dry martini calls for about five parts gin to one part vermouth. There is a debate over whether a martini should be shaken or stirred, and this is simply a matter of taste. A martini shaken over ice will likely end up with shards of melting ice and be a little more watered down, while one stirred in copious ice will be chilled but less watery. Whether you shake it or stir it, it's best to pour your martini into a chilled martini glass to keep it nice and cold. From here, you can garnish it with a lemon peel or a green olive or two, depending on whether you want to go to the salty or citrusy side. As stated, Anthony Bourdain liked his with an extra olive, so you could up the ante and go to three, if you'd like.