🥃 Martinez
Classic cocktail of gin, sweet red vermouth, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters, stirred with ice. The first printed recipe dates from 1884; the IBA lists it among The Unforgettables.
If you like a Negroni or a Manhattan, the Martinez is the gin cocktail to know: a classic of gin and sweet red vermouth with a dash of maraschino liqueur and orange bitters, stirred with ice. The IBA lists it in the Unforgettables category. Cocktail historians see the Martinez as a link between the whisky cocktail Manhattan and the later martini, which makes it one of the oldest known gin cocktails.
Recipe. The IBA recipe is 45 ml of London dry gin, 45 ml of sweet red vermouth, one bar spoon of maraschino and two dashes of orange bitters. Stir everything in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled glass and garnish with lemon zest. Difford's Guide offers another version, with aged genever, two vermouths and dry curaçao.
History. The first known printed recipe is by O. G. Byron, 1884: the same as a Manhattan, but with gin instead of whisky. In 1887 a posthumous edition of Jerry Thomas's guide gave the Martinez with Old Tom gin, vermouth, maraschino and Boker's bitters. Legends link the cocktail to Thomas himself or to the town of Martinez in California, but there are no documents to support this.
Which gin. Byron did not say which gin to use. Difford's Guide thinks the earliest versions were made with Dutch genever: English gin was scarce in America then, and malt genever tastes closer to whisky. Later Old Tom became the base, and after Prohibition London dry gin. The first Martini recipe of 1888 also combined Old Tom and red vermouth.
Why this matters to you. A Martinez contains only alcoholic ingredients: gin, vermouth and liqueur, with no juice or water beyond the melted ice. Sweet vermouth makes it softer on the palate, but not lighter. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol.
Facts
| Raw material | London dry gin 45 ml, sweet red vermouth 45 ml, maraschino 1 bar spoon, orange bitters 2 dashes (IBA) |
|---|---|
| Year founded | first printed recipe 1884 (O. G. Byron); in Jerry Thomas's guide 1887 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Martinez → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 London gin, 🥃 Old Tom Gin, 🥃 Genever, 🍷 Sweet red vermouth
- What it contains
- 🥃 Maraschino, 🥃 Cocktail bitters
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Bartender
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Dry Martini, 🥃 Margarita, 🥃 Margarita
Frequently asked questions
Is the Martinez the ancestor of the martini?
Most cocktail historians think so. The Martinez appeared in print in 1884, and the first Martini recipe of 1888 also combined Old Tom gin and red vermouth; the dry martini came later.
What are the gin and vermouth proportions in a Martinez?
The IBA recipe uses equal parts: 45 ml of gin and 45 ml of sweet red vermouth, plus a bar spoon of maraschino and two dashes of orange bitters.
What gin is best for a Martinez?
The IBA specifies London dry gin. Historical recipes used Old Tom, and Difford's Guide thinks the very first versions used genever.
Is a Martinez shaken or stirred?
It is stirred with ice in a mixing glass and strained into a chilled glass.
Where does the name Martinez come from?
Nobody knows for sure. One legend links it to the town of Martinez in California, another to the bartender Jerry Thomas, but there are no documents.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🍸 London gin — London gin is the EU's strictest distilled gin: aroma from distillation only, no colourings, up to 0.1 g/l of sugar, at least 37.5% ABV (40% / 80 proof in the US). “London” is a method, not a place.
- 🥃 Margarita — Margarita is a classic cocktail of tequila, the orange liqueur triple sec and fresh lime juice, shaken with ice. The IBA lists it as a Contemporary Classic; its origin is disputed, and the name first appeared in print in 1953.
- 🥃 Cocktail bitters — Highly concentrated bitter tinctures of herbs, roots, spices and peel in strong spirit; they are added to cocktails by the dash, like a seasoning. Best known: Angostura and Peychaud's.
Similar
🥃 Casino · 🥃 Tuxedo · 🥃 Dry Martini · 🥃 Clover Club · 🥃 Last Word · 🥃 White Lady
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Martinez (The Unforgettables; 45 ml London dry gin, 45 ml sweet red vermouth, 1 bar spoon Maraschino Luxardo, 2 dashes orange bitters; stir in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass; lemon zest)
- Difford's Guide: Martinez — recipe with oude genever, rosso and dry vermouth, dry orange curaçao, aromatic bitters; history: O.H. Byron 1884 ('Same as Manhattan, only you substitute gin for whisky'), gin probably Dutch genever; Jerry Thomas 1887 (posthumous; Old Tom gin, vermouth, maraschino, Boker's bitters); Old Tom later, London dry after Prohibition; evolved from the Manhattan, preceded the Martini
- Difford's Guide encyclopedia: Martini history — Martinez in O.H. Byron 1884; first 'Martini' recipe in Harry Johnson 1888 (old tom gin, red vermouth); Dry Martini later
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)