Martini

Cocktail Icons, series 1

(set of 10)

Recipe

  • 2 oz. gin

  • 1 oz. dry vermouth

Preparation

  • Start with cold gin and vermouth

  • Stir ingredients with ice

  • Strain into chilled martini glass

  • Express lemon peel over the drink or garnish with olive

Variations

IBA Recipe¹

  • 60 ml Gin

  • 10 ml Dry Vermouth

Other Notes

  • A Dry or Extra Dry Martini uses less vermouth (as little as 1:10 with gin)

  • A Wet Martini uses more vermouth (usually 1:1 with gin)

  • A Sweet Martini uses sweet vermouth instead of dry

  • A Medium or Perfect Martini use equal parts dry and sweet vermouth

  • A Dirty Martini adds a barspoon of olive brine

  • A Gibson is a martini garnished with cocktail onions

Lore

Origin: mid-1800s in California

Creator: unknown

In 1849, a miner struck it rich in the California gold rush and stopped at a bar in the town of Martinez to celebrate. He was served a mix of Sauterne wine and gin called a Martinez Special which morphed into "Martini". This story is probably apocryphal, but the Martinez cocktail is believed to be the precursor to the Martini. A Martinez is also made with gin and vermouth, but adds orange bitters and maraschino liqueur.²

The earliest documented recipe for a Martini Cocktail is from Harry Johnson in 1888³

  • Fill the glass up with ice ;

  • 2 or 3 dashes of Gum Syrup ;

  • 2 or 3 dashes of Bitters; (Boker’s genuine only.)

  • 1 dash of Curaçoa ;

  • ½ wine glassful of Old Tom Gin ;

  • ½ wine glassful of Vermouth ;

  • stir up well with a spoon, strain it into a fancy cocktail glass, squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top, and serve.

Links & References

  1. IBA Dry Martini. https://iba-world.com/dry-martini/

  2. Brown, D. (2019). Spirits Sugar Water Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World. Rizzoli International Publications.

  3. Johnson, H. (1888). New and Improved Illustrated Bartender’s Manual: Or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style. I. Goldmann.