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When you picture a literary-inspired cocktail, you might conjure up images of the Tequila Mockingbird (inspired by Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”) or the Dorian Gray (taking a page from Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”) — truthfully, some of the most cleverly named cocktails. Maybe you’re imagining Jay Gatsby’s love for champagne or James Bond’s obsession with Vesper Martini, and wondering if the famous authors behind these stories enjoyed the beverages as much as their characters did. While examining 12 famous writers from history and their favorite cocktails, we uncovered that American poet Sylvia Plath was absolutely enamored with a good vodka martini, and honestly, who isn’t?
Sylvia Plath indulged in many a vodka martini at the Ritz-Carlton with her friend and fellow poet, Anne Sexton. As described in “How to Drink Like a Writer: Recipes for the Cocktails and Libations that Inspired 100 Literary Greats,” the two would get together after class and sip a few martinis in style, often receiving strange looks from other guests due to their “rebellious” nature. The pair were exceptionally close, and when Plath ended her life in 1963, Sexton released a poem titled “Sylvia’s Death” that detailed their bawdy conversations and made explicit mention of how they often “downed three extra dry martinis in Boston.” There’s an even book inspired by the intricacies of their martini-fueled friendship entitled, “Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton.”
Sylvia Plath knew a thing or two about vodka martinis
Along with Plath’s preference for vodka martinis making headlines in her personal life, there’s also mention of the drink in one of her most famous works, “The Bell Jar.” In one scene, the partially autobiographical character named Esther Greenwood orders “vodka, just a vodka,” which might be a nod to Plath’s cocktail of choice or perhaps was the very inspiration behind her fascination of the tipple. Either way, the classic vodka martini played a major role in Sylvia Plath’s life, both socially and professionally.
A vodka martini technically consists of only three things: vodka, vermouth, and a lemon twist or olive skewer. Traditionally, the martini was made with gin, but it became more common practice to use vodka over time — good news for the Plath. Based on Sexton’s poem, we also know that Sylvia Plath enjoyed her vodka martini “extra dry,” meaning less vermouth and more vodka. But, we’re certainly not opposed to sipping a dirty vodka (or gin) martini, either.
