'When it's Martini Hour, you need a guide and there is no one better than Alice Lascelles.' - Jay Rayner

It's almost 150 years since someone had the idea of mixing dry vermouth and gin - and yet the Martini is now more popular than it's ever been. What's behind this simple drink's enduring success? And can perfection be reached, with a recipe so renowned, yet as personal as how you take your tea...

In The Martini, award-winning journalist, Financial Times columnist and cocktail expert Alice Lascelles goes on a deep-dive into one her favourite drinks - one that's bewitched bartenders, artists, authors, film-makers and barflies for more than a century.

Over the course of 60 recipes, she charts the Martini's journey from the smoky saloons of 1880s New York to the hottest cocktail joints of the 21st century. Discover old-time Martini twists like the Flame of Love and the Tuxedo in the section on Vintage drinks, or turn to Honorary for fun and fruity updates on Lychee and Espresso Martinis. The Classic section, which covers the likes of the Dry Martini, the Vesper and the Gibson, will delight Martini purists, while the Contemporary chapter showcases new-wave Martini recipes from some of the world's top mixologists.

Peppered with anecdotes from the drink's rich history and Alice's travels round the world in search of the ultimate recipe, The Martini voyages from the speakeasies of Tokyo and the dive bars of Brooklyn to the swankiest hotels of St James's. Discover the best Martini to pair with oysters; explore variations infused with olive oil, shiso and jasmine tea; find out why your most important tool is your freezer; and the real reason James Bond liked a shaken, not stirred, Martini.

If you don't know what your perfect Martini looks like, then this book will help you find it. And if you do, then its mix of tips, tricks and trade secrets will almost certainly help you to improve it.

Crisply-designed and illustrated with stunning colour photography, The Martini is a stylish, fun and fascinating guide to one of the cocktail world's most enduring classics.