What makes the perfect martini??
There are various schools of thought on this and I’m not going to be a hater. But for me it has to be gin, and for preference, Plymouth, Hendricks or Martin Miller. Never Gordons and not vodka. The only thing that I will insist on is that you never, ever shake it. James Bond may have had shaken not stirred but he was wrong, wrong I tell you…..
I don’t like olives and I don’t like dirty martinis….you may but don’t ask me to drink them…and make ’em dry
Nic Dempsey 
A shaken Martini definitely sounds like a bad, damaged drink … never mind Fleming!
Excellent. I agree, generally. Except that I feel the shaking, when not done to insane watery excess, brings out the botanical essence nicely. You may enjoy my post on gin that I put up last night.
I have to agree with Emily on this. Never mind it's the only way I have ever had a 'tini.
I agree with you on all fronts except one; why stirred and not shaken?I enjoy a good shaken martini, gin of course, and never Gordon's. There is a reason why Gordon's slogan is "the smoothest most MIXABLE" for a reason; mixing is necessary. But unless you're recreating the 1950's pitcher martinis I don't see the difference between a quick shake and a stir. Hands down I'm with you on your last point, dry, and save the olives for an antipasto, no matter how well they pair with a raw blue cheese.
I just think that shaking bruises the spirit. The general rule is that a clear spirit should be stirred and a darker one shaken. My experience is that if you shake a martini, then you don't get the different favours of the gin coming through.