Why do martinis taste better in bars?

I unabashedly love a dry gin martini. Beefeater, with a bleu cheese olive if you got it. When done well, it’s ice cold, with just a couple small shards of ice floating on top, a perfectly clean and cool reminder of all that is civilized in this world.

Here’s my problem: I want to make my favorite cocktail at home. I think I’m close. I follow the classic Alton Brown martini recipe. 0.5 oz of dry vermouth go into a shaker with ice. Swirl vigorously to coat the ice, and pour out the excess vermouth. Pour in 2.5 oz beefeater gin. I’ve both stirred and shaken, and this distinction doesn’t seem to make any difference. Pour out over a frozen/not frozen (again, the distinction hasn’t seemed to matter) martini glass with a single olive in the bottom, and consume.

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