Martinis are more versatile than you might think. Here bartenders share tips on how to order your first, why a small tweak can radically change it, and a recipe for your freezer

• Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email

The martini is a huge drink in a tiny glass – and not simply because it packs two standards into about 70ml. Wet, dry, dirty or clean, the classic cocktail has long been associated with suave, retro characters such as James Bond and Mad Men’s Roger Sterling (though Sterling’s is a Gibson – a martini garnished with pickled onions). In recent years the drink has returned to the top of cocktail menus, driven by bartenders’ experimentations and appreciation of its versatility.

When the martini-dedicated Bar Planet opened in Sydney’s Newtown nearly three years ago, Jeremy Blackmore, the creative director of Mucho Group, the company behind the venue, says the cocktail’s image was: “Still a bit stodgy … a grandma’s drink. I think the Queen would drink one at lunch.