Never order a martini at a "cocktail reception" at a hotel. They are usually not set up for mixing cocktails. Stick to drinks on the rocks or with a mixer. I was hopeful at a recent reception. I saw good gin (Tanqueray) and I saw dry vermouth. So, I asked for a martini on the rocks. (They just do not have any way to properly mix cocktails.) He looked at me with a blank expression. I tried again. Then I said, "I tell you what. Put 3 ounces of this gin in a glass with some ice. Then splash in some of that vermouth there."

"Oh," he said to me, "that's called a Manhattan."

"Thanks," I answered, taking my drink.

(Note to those who do not know. A Manhattan is made with whiskey, not gin, and sweet vermouth, not dry. Aside from that, they are identical ... in that they are both served cold and in a glass.) .