Gin Classics #8
The Martinez
Thought to be the ‘Father’ of the Martini, the Martinez’s origins belong in a cloudy haze of uncertainty. Nothing unusual for Cocktail classic oft he early days. It most likely started life sometime in the 1860’s and 70’s, but is first known to have been published in O.H. Byron’s “The Modern Bartender,” published in 1884. Byron’s succinct summary of the Martinez states that it is the “same as Manhattan, only you substitute the gin for whisky. The Savoy Cocktail Book’ affirms this type of change to the dry French sweet vermouth, further establishing it as a dry gin cocktail. Throughout the 1930’s further recipes continue along the same vein, and we begin to see that less vermouth is used equating with the amount of gin served. During the same time, the Martini was also slowly being made drier and drier. Again pointing to the fashions of the time. This continued up until the 1940’s. As with many cocktails, there seem to be an abundant variety of ways of what to include in order to make an ‘authentic’ Martinez. It is unfortunate that throughout history the Martinez has not always had as much recognition as it deserves, having been left out of many cocktail guide books for the last few decades, it is has only recently been revived.
How to make it? Well according to Jerry Thomas, Bar-Tenders Guidefrom 1887 stir 30ml Dry Gin, 60ml red Vermouth, 2 dashes of Augostura bitters and a Barspoon Maraschino with ice and strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
