As with all things in the cocktail world, the origin of the Martini is a little hazy.

Some believe the name was derived from a brand of vermouth; others believe that the modern Martini evolved from the Martinez cocktail first poured in the 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco.

Martinez

Take 1 dash of Boker's bitters

2 dashes of Maraschino

1 pony [1 oz] of Old Tom gin

1 wine glass [2 oz] of [sweet/Italian] vermouth

2 small lumps of ice

Shake up thoroughly, and strain into a large cocktail glass. Put a quarter of a slice of lemon in the glass and serve. If the guest prefers it very sweet, add two dashes of gum syrup.

The first recipe similar to today’s Martini was published in 1887. This recipe called for half a wine glass of Old Tom gin and half a wine glass of vermouth, along with other ingredients.

Fill the glass with ice

2 or 3 dashes of gum syrup

2 or 3 dashes of bitters

1 dash of Curaçao

1⁄2 wine glassful [1 oz] of Old Tom gin

1⁄2 wine glassful [1 oz] of [sweet/Italian] vermouth

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

The Dry Martini emerged in the early 1900s. The 1904 Marguerite Cocktail, was a 2:1 mix of dry gin and dry vermouth. A Dry Martini recipe can be found in the 1907 bartenders guide World Drinks and How to Make Them.

The traditional Martini is made with a 2:1 ratio, however, the demand for drier martinis has seen this ratio pushed as far as 4:1 to the extreme of 16:1.

Martini Variations

Perfect Martini - uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.

Wet Martini – uses equal amounts of gin and vermouth.

Reverse Martini – uses more vermouth than gin.

Dirty Martini – contains olive juice or brine.

Gibson Martini – contains cocktail onions.

Churchill Martini – uses no vermouth. It is prepared with gin straight from the freeze while glancing at a closed bottle of vermouth. This is my personal favorite.

Martinis are one of the simplest cocktails to make, but with the incredible variety of gin and vermouth available, the taste profiles are endless.