One for the martini folks

“For myself, I learned all I needed to know about the rules of proportion from the dry martini. (The addition of an onion turns this martini into a Gibson. Cocktail titles proliferate like ranks in the Ruritarian army.) The law is: main ingredient (gin), subordinate ingredient (vermouth), and grace note (lemon twist, olive). This is the law of proportion and rhythm that underlies all of the plastic arts, from cocktail-making and cooking to architecture, sculpture, pottery, and dressmaking. Remember where you heard it first.”

– John Lanchester, from his novel The Debt To Pleasure.

(QOTD for May 15)