What goes into the perfect martini? If you’re a purist (I confess I lean this way, myself), the answer can only be “gin, vermouth and olives.”

But as anyone who has been to a bar in the last, oh, couple of decades knows, “martini” has evolved into a term covering concoctions featuring a wide range of standard as well as exotic alcoholic and mixer ingredients. These days one might just as soon order a “martini” composed of Konyagi, Blue Curacao, and papaya juice and garnished with a candy cane and a slice of mango as get a glass of grandpa’s favorite tipple.

Enter the second annual Artini Martini Crawl, a Feb. 19 benefit for the Ann Arbor Art Center that challenges six downtown bars and restaurants to come up with their most artful martini. As many as 300 thirsty crawlers will sample them and issue their decision as to which is the best at the end of the night.

It’s a chance for the participating establishments—Vinology, Rush Street, the Black Pearl, Goodnite Gracie, Mélange, and Café Felix—to get creative.

“We’ve been playing around with different ideas,” says Kristin Jonna of Vinology. “It will be interesting to see what comes out of the debate between our chef and the rest of the team.”

Dave Landrum, co-owner and chief mixologist of Café Felix, is more philosophical. “Do you focus on aesthetics or flavor?” he asks. “We want the drink to be approachable—it should look good, but function the way a drink like that should function.”

Over at the Black Pearl, the reigning Artini champs, bartender Kiley Trupiano definitely comes down on the side of aesthetics. She designed last year’s winner, a mixture of vodka and lemonade with three Jell-O shots on a pick and a rim coated with Pop Rocks.

“We’ve been planning this year’s Artini for five months,” she says. “We mean business.”

Others are taking a less serious approach.

“We had a blast doing this last year,” says Terry Martin, general manager of Mélange. “But it’s not about winning or losing. It’s for a good cause.”

Last year’s event was a rousing success, according to Kelsey Johnson, development associate at the Ann Arbor Art Center. “We sold 285 tickets last year and had originally planned a maximum of 250,” she says. “It went well above expectations, and we’re anticipating another great year based on ticket sales to date.”

The event is sponsored by Ketel One and Ciroc vodkas, as well as Yelp and Busch’s supermarket, and will raise funds in support of the Art Center’s many activities, which include more than 250 art classes a year (“for kids from 4 to 104,” notes Johnson), a summer “Creativity Camp,” and free exhibitions featuring established Michigan artists, as well as rising talents. The Art Center also offers scholarships to kids and adults and provides training and mentorship to at-risk youth through its ArtMakers Teens program.

“We are a great part of the community,” says Johnson. “We believe it’s places like the Art Center that make Ann Arbor such a desirable place to live.”

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. Email him at annarborbeer@gmail.com or follow @dbardallis on Twitter.