Updated March 2026.
An IBA Dry Martini is 60 mL of gin plus 10 mL of dry vermouth — about two ounces of gin, not a federal “shot.” Typical US bars pour 2 to 2.5 ounces of gin or vodka plus vermouth. 2.5 ounces of 40% spirit is about 1.67 US standard drinks before the vermouth. A shot is a measuring custom, not a TTB fill. See vodka, gin, and shot size.
Martini math (US 1.5 oz shot = 44 mL)
| Recipe | Spirit | Vermouth / other | Spirit as US shots | Std drinks (40% spirit, before vermouth) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBA Dry Martini | 60 mL gin (~2.0 oz) | 10 mL dry vermouth | 1.35 | ~1.35 |
| Typical US bar | 2.0 oz (59 mL) | splash–0.5 oz | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| Typical US “up” | 2.5 oz (74 mL) | splash–0.5 oz | 1.67 | 1.67 |
| Heavy house pour | 3.0 oz (89 mL) | rinse or drop | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| IBA Espresso Martini (different drink) | 50 mL vodka | 30 mL Kahlúa + 10 mL sugar + espresso | 1.13 vodka only | Count both alcoholic bottles |
IBA Dry Martini (fetched): 60 mL gin, 10 mL dry vermouth, stirred, strained; lemon oil or olive. That is a recipe, not a statute. A bar’s 2-ounce or 2.5-ounce house pour is also not a law. Do not treat “two shots in a martini” as a TTB number. See vodka drink-count math and gin vs vodka.
Vermouth is alcohol, just not a shot
Dry vermouth is a fortified wine, typically around 15–18% ABV. Ten milliliters at 18% is about 1.8 mL of ethanol — roughly 0.1 of a US standard drink. It changes the flavor more than the count. A wet martini with a full ounce of vermouth adds a real fraction of a drink. An extra-dry rinse adds almost none. For the two bottles, see sweet vs dry vermouth.
If the gin or vodka is 40% ABV, each 1.5-ounce measured pour is one standard drink (NIAAA, December 2025). Higher-proof gin raises the count. Read the bottle. See shots in a 750 mL bottle.
The glass is not the pour
A V-shaped martini glass often holds 6 to 8 ounces to the rim. Filling it is not a single shot and is not “3–4 shots” as a rule — that is the glass SKU, not the recipe. Ice melt from a shake adds water. The IBA specifies stirring for a Dry Martini.
Order “up” and you get the recipe in a stemmed glass. Order it on the rocks and the same ounces sit on ice. The shot count is the spirit you measure. Taste notes live on what a martini tastes like.
Vodka martini, dirty, Gibson, espresso
Swap gin for 40% vodka and the spirit ounces do not change. A Gibson is the same build with a cocktail onion. Extra-dry, in US bar slang, usually means less vermouth, not less gin. A “perfect” martini (half dry, half sweet) adds a little more wine-strength alcohol.
A dirty martini — olive brine in the glass — is a common bar build. It is not on the current IBA cocktail list this fetch (no live Dirty card). Do not invent an IBA dirty recipe as law. Brine is not ethanol.
An espresso martini is a different drink. IBA (fetched): 50 mL vodka, 30 mL Kahlúa, 10 mL sugar syrup, one strong espresso. Count both alcoholic bottles. Kahlúa US strength is a different URL.
If you batch martinis, measure the gin or vodka. Four IBA Dry Martinis are 240 mL of gin — 5.4 US 1.5-ounce shots — plus 40 mL of vermouth. That is not “four drinks” if each guest also had a beer. See beers vs a shot.
Sources
- International Bartenders Association, Dry Martini: 60 mL gin, 10 mL dry vermouth, stirred (iba-world.com/iba-cocktail/dry-martini/).
- IBA Espresso Martini: 50 mL vodka, 30 mL Kahlúa, 10 mL sugar syrup, 1 espresso (iba-world.com/iba-cocktail/espresso-martini/).
- IBA Dirty Martini: no live card on the current IBA list this fetch.
- NIAAA, What Is a Standard Drink? (fetched): 1.5 oz of 40% spirits = 14 g / 0.6 fl oz ethanol. Same graphic lists 1.5 oz brandy or cognac at about 40% as one drink.
- TTB: a martini is a recipe, not an authorized spirits fill (27 CFR 5.203).