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Martinis are a loaded drink. Perhaps no other alcoholic beverage has generated such a precise and passionate following as the one that supplemented the iconic careers of James Bond and the entire Rat Pack.

Tradition says a classic martini is a cocktail made with gin and dry vermouth. Inviting vodka to the party has, more recently, opened the floodgates and significantly blurred the lines of martini qualifications. Most of what you see today is just a foo-foo drink in a martini glass.

When surveyed about Milwaukee's best martini shakers and stirrers, OnMilwaukee.com's readers chose Hi-Hat Lounge, 1701 N. Arlington Pl., and Elsa's on the Park, 833 N. Jefferson St. OnMilwaukee.com sent its editorial staff to put each establishment to the test. We tried to keep it classic. Here are the results.

Molly Snyder Edler
Staff Writer
Martini: The dirtier the better
Pick: Hi-Hat Lounge

I'm not satisfied with a martini unless it has more olive taste than Popeye's lips. Hence, the Hi-Hat martini ($11) was by far my favorite. Ice cold and super salty, this drink could get me in trouble. My only complaint? I would have liked three olives instead of two, which I will ask for next time.

The Elsa's martini ($9) was good, too, but it just wasn't dirty enough. It tasted like a plain ol' vodka martini with a couple of olives in it. However, because this martini tasted really strong, it was easier to sip, as opposed to the Hi-Hat version which I just wanted to knock back.

Both of these drinks were well crafted. Hi-Hat got extra points because of the extreme olive-ness, but I certainly wouldn't pass up an Elsa's martini. Especially if you're buying.

Julie Lawrence
Staff Writer
Martini: Cosmopolitan
Pick: Elsa's on the Park

To the dismay of many true martini aficionados, I ordered a cosmopolitan at both Hi-Hat and Elsa's. While it's not your standard representation of a "classic" martini, it remains an extremely popular drink, and a staple of just about any martini list in the city. Basically, if a bartender can't get this one right -- vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec and a splash of lime -- there's little hope for the other varieties.

I found Hi-Hat's and Elsa's versions to taste quite different, despite their similar pink hue and curly yellow lemon twist. Hi-Hat's $10 cosmo was a 10-oz. affair made with Kettle One Citron, a choice that made the martini deceptively smooth. It was subtle -- not too sweet, nor too red, which indicated it had not been "watered down" by cranberry juice. I've been told by bartenders that not being able to taste the booze is a sign of a quality drink, but I really didn't feel like I was consuming a martini at Hi-Hat; it felt more like a mixed drink (and not a $10 one).

Elsa's used Absolute Citron for its 10-oz. martini, which costs $9.50. It might not have been as "smooth" as Hi-Hat's, but if I'm drinking martinis, I need to be able to taste the liquor, or else I'm in trouble. Elsa's was potent enough to warrant the price and was an excellent example of a sipping drink, rather than an overly-fruity slammer.

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