1 No contest in my case. I'm allergic to gin.

2 A martini is 2.5 oz of gin & .5 oz of dry vermouth and above all it is stirred!!!! Once it is shaken its no longer a martini either. In proper terminology calling it a Gin Martini is redundant, along the lines of the Department of Redundancy Department. You can debate the true martini garnish, where it was orginally a twist of lemon then later the olive gained popularity. Besides the Martini is better than the Vodkatini (Vodka Martini) anyways. To clarify the process by which vodka is made is to eliminate any impurties and flavors in the drink, where as gin is made to embrace a wide range of botannicals to enhance its flavor, not deprive one of it and therefore serve as a superior mixer. (same goes for Gin & Tonic which is far superior to Vodka Tonic). My gin of preference is Bombay Saphire.

3 I don't like the taste of gin. I do like the taste of vodka. That happened before I got allergic to gin. And before I had to stop drinking much of any alcohol at all. I used to thrive on vodka & tonics. With lime. But I'm happy for you, Mr. Pirate, liking gin. It's just personal taste. Kind of like the donut controversy - yeast vs. raised.

4 Gin gin gin gin gin. I had a "dirty martini" tonight. (That's the one with the olive juice in it.) I like Bombay Sapphire, but I think Tanqueray 10 is a little better. I've never tried them back to back, though. Vodka is for screwdrivers and Bloody Marys. And Cosmos. However: a martini is just about pure booze, so I've invented the "mini martini" (half the gin, half the vermouth). This complements the "mini dry Manhattan" I invented a year and a half ago. One of those, and then it's back to nonalcoholic beverages (or maybe maybe a gin and tonic, which I make with exactly one ounce of gin). I'm a small woman, and I have to respect that.

5 Oh, and of course once we get into the first and second cousins of the martini--like a Blood Orange "Martini"--I'm expecting vodka in it to showcase the featured taste. (That is actually a great drink for a gourmet meal, because it doesn't interfere in any way with the appreciation of the food--it's a mini-palate cleanser.)

6 Q: Vodka martinis or gin martinis? A: yes, please.