The Martini is almost as American as apple pie. The journalist H. L. Mencken said that this drink was "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." The writer E. B. White descibed the Martini as "the elixir of quietude," and the Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev called it "America's lethal weapon."
             No one knows for sure exactly who made the first one, but legend says it stems back to the 1860s. The Martini has starred in many a film, especially about alienated businessmen in the 1950s and their "three-Martini lunches." It also is associated with numerous politicians and entertainers: W.C. Fields, who was said to start each day with double Martinis, or "angels milk," as he called them; Frank Sinatra, who made it a very sophisticated drink; President F.D. Roosevelt, who enjoyed them tremendously, especially with added ingredients such as such as anisette or fruit juice; and President Richard Nixon, who supposedly was drinking Martinis during the Watergate break-in.
             FDR was not the only one who altered the Martini with special ingredients. Recently, for example, the "blue Martini" has become popular. It derives its color from the orange-flavored blue curaçao liqueur. The "Blue Martini" is also a chain of classy clubs in Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. According to CEO Mark Vasu, the Blue Martini features over 25 different flavored Martinis. There is also live entertainment while enjoying tapas food items and fine wine. Each location is open seven days a week for parties of up to 1,000 people.
             Now Vasu needs a PR campaign to bring the Blue Martini to England. In addition to introducing the nightclub into the London scene, it is also necessary to let the English know more about the Martinis long history, and the concept of the "Blue Martini" drink and nightclub. Martinis have not been as popular in England as in the U.S. In fact, some Ameri...