Martinez cocktail recipe

The first recipe for the Martinez was published in The Modern Bartender in 1884, though there are plenty of different interpretations of the official recipe. Ratios and the style of vermouth have varied over the years, but there’s no doubt that the Martinez is a certified classic of the cocktail world.

It’s widely acknowledged that the Martinez cocktail is the father of the gin Martini, both of which owe their existence to the Manhattan cocktail. Think of them as three classics that will appeal to different tastes. For the Martinez, sweet vermouth provides a touch of sweetness along with maraschino liqueur, balancing the bitters and dry gin. A Martini, on the other hand, is made with dry gin and dry vermouth, while a Manhattan keeps the sweet vermouth but is made with whisky as the base spirit.

Like so many cocktails, the Martinez’s origins are uncertain. The town of Martinez, in California's Bay Area, claims to be responsible, and there’s even a plaque in town commemorating the cocktail’s creation. It’s possible that Professor Jerry Thomas, author of The Bon Vivant’s Companion, created the cocktail for travellers heading to Martinez, but it’s impossible to confirm this.

As mentioned above, there are plenty of ways to take the Martinez and turn it into a Manhattan, a Martini or one of the many modern takes like a Red Hook or Brooklyn. There’s also a lot of scope when it comes to ratios as there is no one official recipe. Early examples included a 1:1 ratio of gin and vermouth, giving the cocktail a sweeter twist, but as dry cocktails became the rage in the 20th century, the Martinez became more focused on gin. This means you’re completely free to experiment with your ingredients; try adding in equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, or just dry vermouth instead of sweet, or going 1:1 with gin and sweet vermouth.