Stanley Tucci Shares His Recipe for a Perfect Martini

Throughout two seasons of Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy on CNN, the actor has traveled across the country discovering the hidden culinary gems of its various cultures and regional cuisines. And while Tucci has long held a passion for food and drink that is perhaps only rivaled by his love for acting—he published two cookbooks in 2012 and 2014, and his memoir, released last year, was titled Taste: My Life Through Food—the experience of making the documentary series has only served to further deepen his fascination with the history and variety of Italian cooking. “It confirmed my belief that Italy’s regions are distinctly different,” says Tucci. “If you go to Sardinia then Piedmont and then Sicily, it’s almost as though you’re in different countries and eras. In the south, you’ll have African, Middle Eastern, and Greek influences, but in the north, you’ll have Germanic and French influences.”

Ahead of the holiday season, then, Vogue thought it appropriate to ask Tucci some of his dos-and-don’ts for holiday hosting—more specifically, we wanted his take on how to make a classic cocktail. In 2020, you’ll remember he went viral for an Instagram video in which he made a Negroni. “Some people took umbrage that I made a Negroni up as opposed to on the rocks, but I thought it was nice,” Tucci says of his unorthodox approach. “That’s the way I like them: You’re not fighting through the ice, like a seal.” This holiday season, however, Tucci’s drink of choice is the martini; conveniently, he’s also now a brand partner for Tanqueray’s No. Ten gin. “They approached me, and how could I say no,” says Tucci.

For Tucci, the martini is a favorite not because of its strong alcohol content, but instead due to the art involved in making it. “Part of it is the ceremony,” says Tucci. “You watch somebody make a martini properly, and it’s really beautiful. It’s ceremonial and elegant—it elevates a moment. Your whole day gets better. And it’s not the booze, a huge part of it is the gesture of it.” As the Christmas season approaches, you can catch him making a martini or two at home in London, where he plans to stay put and catch up on some R&R. “I like to be home for Christmas,” says Tucci. “I like to decorate the house with the kids. Christmas is all about kids, and to see my older kids get excited about Christmas again, now that they have younger siblings—that’s the greatest thing.”

Below, find Tucci’s steps to making the perfect martini, just in time for the holiday season.