Of course, given what was going on in the US government in 1974, no wonder booze was a popular topic.
That said, I'd check the recipes carefully before throwing a Government Cocktail Party. A 2:1 gin:vermouth ratio in a martini is almost undrinkable.
A 1974 government document shows how to make a proper cocktail
Let it never be said that the forestry department doesn’t have fun
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Winston Churchill famously said the only way to make a martini was with ice-cold gin, and a bow in the direction of France.
Alfred Hitchcock and Winston Churchill had the same idea – Hitchcock said the closest he wanted to get to a bottle of vermouth was looking at it from across the room.
+Chris Blackmore I started my martini career with the Tom Lehrer "Bright College Days" formula:
Hearts full of youth,
Hearts full of truth,
Six parts gin
To one part vermouth.
And have gotten progressively more gin-oriented since then.
I always order "very dry" (and the best route I've seen for that is simply splashing some vermouth into the glass, swirling it about, then dumping it).
Heck, with some of the nicer sipping gins, I just forgo the vermouth altogether.
+Dave Hill Bombay Sapphire is good sipping stuff.
+Chris Blackmore It's a decent minimum. 🙂 I've recently grown quite fond of Peach Street Distillery's Jackalope. It's a local Colorado product, but it's very tasty.