Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd US president, was at his best after a stiff drink, which explains why he carried a “martini kit” on every local and foreign trip, including his martini tray. His favorite was the Dirty Martini: two parts gin, one part vermouth, a soupcon of olive brine, a lemon twist and an olive.
Two anedocts.
At the Tehran conference in 1943, the President insisted on mixing this precise drink for Mr Stalin, who noted that it was cold on the stomach, but not unpleasant.
In the summer of 1939, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited FDR at Hyde Park, a few weeks before the Second World War began, the president said “My mother does not approve of cocktails and thinks you should have a cup of tea.” The King said, “Neither does my mother”, and they had a couple of rounds of Martinis.
The Martini Hour 