The eclectic bar scene in Yerevan is a reminder of a drinking culture delicately climbing the staircase of refinement. Between the casual excess and the elegant, the city’s cocktail scene is a post-modern homage to the Parisian belle epoque, where the swagger of Yerevan’s youth intersects with the urbanity of its upper-middle class. The rise of the upscale cocktail hints at a subconscious desire to shed outdated norms—and with them a dying conservative culture—in favor of a sleeker, cosmopolitan identity. Slick, stylish and subtly bold, Yerevan’s drinking culture has embraced the posh cocktail as the consummate metaphor of sophistication, social status and desirability. The city’s “polite society” is a mélange of bar-hopping techies, post-yuppie entrepreneurs, eager Diasporans, and well-to-do repats. This new social strata that has made ritzy mixology a staple of Yerevan’s drinking culture, is intelligent, articulate, well-educated, and…confused. If Yerevan was a cocktail, it would be the Martini.
The Martini is not delicious, but it is a necessity, a raw sparkle of clarity…it will set you straight and devour your confusions. In Yerevan, it signifies new decadence, a charming social ambiance of bourgeois values and snobbery. It is sexy and feminine enough, but also bold and masculine enough. Show me a woman with a Martini in hand, and I will marvel at the slim narcissus of her chic glass. Show her a man with Martini in hand, and she will swoon at his reserved panache. Drinking a Martini is not simply about drinking…it is a quiet ritual of self-admiration in a city learning to flirt with its own reflection.
The classic Martini has two ingredients: gin and vermouth. Some may ask why gin over vodka, but the answer should be self-evident: one shouldn’t be déclassé. The ratio must be 4 to 1, and if the vermouth is not chilled, the bartender should be banished. Not only must the Martini glass and the gin be bracingly cold, but I repeat, so must the vermouth…this is how one separates the men from the boys, the ingénue from the Lady. The gin and vermouth must be stirred, not shaken. Yes, James Bond had no idea what he was talking about. More importantly, it must be stirred from a minimum of 45 seconds to a maximum of 60 seconds. A lemon peel, after being twisted, must be pressed against the lips of the glass, but the lemon is not an ingredient, only an aromatic flair that is gently applied to neutralize the aftertaste of the vermouth. You may prefer an olive in your Martini, but only for aesthetic and presentation purposes. Whatever you do, please do not eat the olive: it will crush the soul of the Martini.
Always hold the Martini glass from the upper-edges, using your thumb and middle finger, while the index finger rests in controlled subtlety. As you bring the glass to your lips, only take half a sip, and don’t hold your breath while sipping, and should you have the urge to take a full sip, the cocktail gods will cry at your lack of refinement. The Martini isn’t simply a cocktail, it is a lifestyle.
So, which bar serves the best Martini in Yerevan? To answer this critical question, three bars that helped shape Armenia’s mixology culture were the subjects of my visit: Sante Fe, Daboo and Minas.
Nestled in the center of Yerevan, a stone’s throw away from Cascade, in what has the aesthetics of a dry island, Santa Fe popularized the signature cocktail culture in Yerevan in the mid 2010s, bringing to mainstream consumption what was, at that point, an exclusive trend among certain elites. The Martini at Santa Fe is prepared with a 3 to 1 ratio, erring on the side of caution, with the preference of mid-quality gin and Italian-imported vermouth. The execution of the drink by the bartender displayed disciplined loyalty to cocktail orthodoxy, including the initial icing of the glass, the careful measuring of portions, and a conscious desire to preserve the balance of the cocktail formula by carefully stirring the ingredients. The quality of the final product was above-average, but not exceptional. The gin and vermouth were from the bar, kept at room temperature, which harmed the depth of coldness required for a Martini. The vermouth was slightly overwhelming, while the lemon twist struggled to appease the vermouth’s aftertaste. It lacked the sufficient crispness required of a Martini, though it did its best to give a sharp bite. The elegance of the gin was slightly suppressed, and the lack of sufficient coldness made the Martini lazy and tired. In its totality, the Martini at Santa Fe excelled in preparation, but struggled with the execution of the ingredients. In our scale of 1 to 5, the Martini at Santa Fe stands at a 3.75.
One of the preeminent bars in Armenia, Minas, located in The Collective, is a swanky upper-class lounge. Its cocktails are not only exquisite, but follow a certain etiquette of devotion to the art of mixology. While paying attention to detail and style, it does a superb job of not falling into the trap of pretentiousness. Minas, indeed, is perhaps the most original and distinct bar in Yerevan. And what of its Martini? One word: precision. The high-standards of cocktail execution are the norm at Minas, so the icing of the glass, the quality of ice in the cylindrical mixing glass, and the speed and pace of developing the drink are first-rate. Minas applies a 4 to 1 ratio, having no reservations in being on the strong side, understanding that the Martini must be assertive. The vermouth, as expected for a proper Martini, was chilled, while the gin (Tanqueray is its preferred brand) was not, since it was sitting on the bar at room temperature. The bartender’s technique, however, to mitigate for this shortcoming, was to initially stir the gin in the mixing glass for 30 seconds before adding the vermouth, an admirable technique. However, once the vermouth was added, the required stirring of 45 to 60 seconds had to be observed, with the bartender stirring the drink for 50 seconds. The minor faux paus in this approach was self-evident: the gin, collectively, ended up being stirred for 80 seconds, thus diluting with the melting ice more than it should. Nonetheless, the final product was an impeccable Martini, as the fragrance of the lemon twist hugged the surface of the cocktail, the dryness of the Tanqueray gin pierced the tongue, only to be caressed by the balancing aftertaste of the vermouth. Its only shortcoming, as expected, was the subtle lack of sharpness one anticipates from the Martini, as the slight diluting of the gin limited its crisp bite. Collectively, however, the Martini at Minas is elite, labor-intensive, and bold. In our scale of 1 to 5, this Martini stands at 4.5.
A staple of Armenia’s cocktail culture, Daboo was a trendsetter before Yerevan society knew what a craft cocktail entailed. Located in Cascade, it is an underground speakeasy without the pretentiousness of the faux speakeasy culture that has consumed the U.S. Elegant yet authentic, Daboo exudes an aura of rawness, where cocktail is king, and it takes a no-holds-barred approach to its concoctions. The Martini at Daboo is exquisite, domineering and unflinchingly delectable. It is prepared with a 4 to 1 ratio, demonstrating awareness on how strong the drink should be, while at the same time making certain that the delicate balance of its ingredients are preserved. Indeed, as an industry norm, the glass is initially iced while the drink is being prepared, but more importantly, the vermouth and gin were chilled before being poured into the cylindrical mixing glass. The bartender’s execution of the drink was flawless, as the gin, using Hendrick’s in its apothecary-style bottle, was first poured into the mixing glass, thus letting it sit in the coldness of the ice, after which the vermouth was added, only to be stirred precisely for 50 seconds. A strainer was used to pour the Martini into the glass, a preference for elite bartenders, while the lemon twist was massaged on the inner edges of the glass (and not the outer edge, a common mistake), designed to embrace the upper lip of the drinker. The clarity of the drink sparkled like the surface of a tranquil lake, while the aroma of the gin intoxicated the senses. Balanced, delightful, yet full of gravitas, the Martini at Daboo is a work of art. In our scale of 1 to 5, the Martini at Daboo stands at 4.75, near perfection.
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While the clear winner is Daboo, the Martini at Minas is also in a class of its own, and between the growing refinement of the Armenian cocktail palate and the demand for innovative and creative concoctions, one fact will always remain unchanged: the Martini will always be the most simple, yet also the most difficult and elegant of cocktails. It is no wonder that it has found a home in Yerevan.
