Amanda Schuster, Food & Wine:

The Martini emoji was the first of its kind for a reason: It’s the most recognizable cocktail in history. When a bartender pours someone else’s order of a chilled, clear liquid into a conical glass and bestows it with an olive or citrus twist, there’s no question about what that drink is.

The Martini was my first cocktail infatuation. I made, I dunno, hundreds? of them since 2007. I experimented with everything: the gin, the amount of vermouth, the length of the stir. I even tried shaking it, if you can imagine. (One thing I rarely did—except under duress—was use vodka. I have standards.)

Now, there’s a dedicated cocktail convention:

The Martini Expo will be held in New York City at Industry City in Brooklyn on September 12th and 13th. Starting with a Martini dinner, the event continues with a day and evening of activities (pace yourselves)—including seminars, lunch, book signings, more food, and a Martini mixer. Attendees will have the chance to drink in the Martini’s full arc of history while legendary personalities in the drinks space and bartenders from some of New York City’s top bars (and beyond) stir and shake things up.

I’m disappointed I won’t be able to make this. I’ll drown my sorrows in a Martini.