martinez_cocktail

The Martinez: The Classic Cocktail that's not a Manhattan or a Martini

A look at the cocktail that defies description

In the 1880s, Old Tom gin, a style with quite a bit more sweetness than London dry, was just beginning to gain popularity in America. This is the drink that put it over the top.

Can a classic cocktail be a classic if there is no consensus on how to make it? In the case of the Martinez cocktail, the answer is unequivocally yes. I travelled to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans—the town where cocktails were invented—to examine why and how the Martinez endures.

Steeped in tradition, the Martinez is the evolutionary missing link between the Manhattan and the Martini. So what’s in it? I asked cocktail historian and master distiller, Jared Brown, who responded playfully, “the first mention of the Martinez in OH Byron [Modern Bartender's Guide (1884)] gave two recipes, not one.”

And so Martinez makers have had to embrace the philosophy of uncertainty that has characterized the life of this enigmatic drink.

You want a better answer? The most recognized version of the classic recipe, as printed in an 1887 revised (and posthumously published) edition of Jerry Thomas’ book How To Make Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion, substitutes Old Tom Gin for whiskey to create something approximating a gin Manhattan: 1 oz. Old Tom Gin 2 oz. sweet vermouth 2 dashes of maraschino liqueur 1 dash of Boker’s Bitters 1 quarter slice of lemon

As the Manhattan begat the Martinez, the Martinez begat the Martini (drop the maraschino liquor, substitute dry vermouth for the sweet variety, swap proportions of gin and vermouth, and you’ve got the classic). Yet a definitive recipe for the mother of the most popular vermouth and gin-based libation has eluded even the biggest cocktail nerds.

Steeped in tradition, the Martinez is the evolutionary “missing link” between the Manhattan and the Martini

None of the Martinez recipes published since the 1880s agree on the ratio of gin to vermouth: is it 1:1? 1.5:1 gin to vermouth? 2:1 vermouth to gin? Several recipes printed in the early-to-mid 20th century actually call for equal parts gin and dry vermouth.

If the Martinez recipe cannot be pinned down, how should we enjoy the drink? Start by trying some different variations and tailor the cocktail to your personal taste.

“The Martinez is a really personal drink like a Manhattan or Martini,” says Jillian Vose, Head Bartender and Bar Manager at the award-winning The Dead Rabbit in Manhattan. “Everyone will have a particular way that they like to drink it. In the case of the Martinez, all the components and how much of each including the modifiers are important. It can be fun to… play with different vermouths and gins. Sure, the more modern version won't taste as it did back in the day, but you can get pretty close if you use your imagination.”

With dozens of popular gins on the shelf and a growing number of vermouths, bartenders are taking creative license. So I solicited Martinez cocktail recipes from some “Top Guns” and discovered a variety of unique and sophisticated takes on the classic. At Clover Club, cocktail bar trailblazer Julie Reiner opts for slightly more gin than vermouth, using a traditional Old Tom Gin like Ransom which has a slightly sweeter disposition than a London Dry. Others, like Sipsmith Master Distiller, Jared Brown, prefer a junipery overproof (Navy strength) London Dry in smaller proportion to the vermouth so the drink is strong, but not overpowering. Brown also adds one DROP of absinthe, which, combined with the overproof gin, makes for a “boozier” cocktail. Like Reiner, Jillian Vose uses Old Tom Gin, but her recipe is heavy on the gin, calling for mostly Hayman’s (a sweeter variety Old Tom) with a lesser amount of Ransom (which is spicier). Vose adds a teaspoon of Massenez Kirsch cherry brandy as well. Similar to Jared Brown and others, Zach White, Bartender at Fort Defiance in Brooklyn, uses a bit more sweet vermouth with a “stiff” gin like Old Raj. Not a fan of maraschino liquor, White substitutes .5 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (which appears in place of maraschino in some old recipes).

Invariably, when I ask for a Martinez, I am greeted with a smile and a story of how the bartender likes to make it.

Recipes

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Martinez Cocktail Recipe

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

The Martinez cocktail may be a predecessor to the martini, but these drinks could hardly be less alike to the modern palate. The Martinez starts with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, and this alone distinguishes it in two ways from the modern martini. You then add a teaspoon of maraschino liqueur and either Angostura or orange bitters.

For this classic cocktail, it's worth taking the time to find Old Tom gin. My preference for this drink is Ransom Old Tom, from Oregon. Distilled with malted barley, it has a maltiness that marries well with sweet vermouth. If you can't find Ransom, Eric Seed's Haus Alpenz line imports Hayman's Old Tom from England. The Alpenz portfolio is now available in 40 states plus the District of Columbia, so you may have better luck there. If you're unfamiliar with maraschino liqueur, here's a primer.

• Yield: makes 1 cocktail
• Active time: 3 minutes
• Total time: 3 minutes
• Rated:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounce Old Tom gin
• 1 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth (I like Carpano Antica in this)
• 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Directions

Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters. Stir until very cold then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over cocktail to express its oils. Rub rim of glass with peel and discard.

Special Equipment

Michael Dietsch is a barfly, booze hound, book hoarder, jazz fiend, and technographer. He lives with his wife, kids, and cats in the D.C. suburbs. When he's not out on the town, he's usually at home doing laundry and writing.

He'll save your life if you ask nicely enough.

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Classic Drinks: Andrew Jackson and The Old Hickory Cocktail

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Martinez Cocktail

Ingredients (6)

• 3 1/2 ounces Old Tom Gin
• 1 3/4 ounces sweet vermouth
• 2 bar spoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
• 4 dashes orange bitters
• Ice
• Orange twist, for garnish (optional)

• Calories 209
• Fat 0.05g
• Saturated fat 0.02g
• Trans fat
• Carbs 6.36g
• Fiber
• Sugar 5.88g
• Protein 0.04g
• Cholesterol
• Sodium 3.66mg
• Nutritional Analysis per serving (2 servings)Powered by

The Martinez is a strong but balanced drink—we recommend it for Negroni or Manhattan Drink fans. This recipe, from Jonny Raglin of Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, stirs together two parts Old Tom Gin with one part sweet vermouth, a few dashes of orange bitters, and some maraschino liqueur, then serves it up. When this drink originated in the 19th century, Old Tom Gin was usually made by taking a subpar gin and adding sugar to make it more palatable, says Raglin. In modern times the gin fell out of existence, but nowadays, quality Old Tom Gin is back on the market and artfully distilled to taste delicious.

What to buy: Old Tom Gin has similar flowery and aromatic characteristics to London dry gin, but with a touch of sweetness added. At Comstock Saloon, Raglin makes the Martinez using the Ransom brand, whose formula was developed with the help of cocktail historian David Wondrich.

This recipe was featured as part of our story on Drinks from San Francisco’s Sleazy Past.

The Martinez Cocktail Recipe

A classic that brought us the Martini

Despite the country’s rapidly growing taste for craft cocktails, the Martini still remains a top request for many patrons in restaurants, usually accompanied with a litany of confusing specifications detailing the precise number of olives, how little vermouth should be used, and the preferred brand of vodka. Though there is nothing wrong with a Martini, I’ve always been a much bigger fan of another classic and more complex cocktail that was actually the predecessor to what became today’s Martini, the Martinez.

Unlike the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan and the Negroni, which stem from the same general period as this cocktail, the Martinez has not yet seemed to make the same triumphant comeback as its contemporaries, despite its accessibility. Historically, this cocktail was made with Old Tom Gin, a sweetened gin style that could be considered a bridge between the Holland Genever and London Dry styles, as well as sweet vermouth and Maraschino liqueur. Though the original recipe is far sweeter than a Martini, especially since the majority of the drink was comprised of sweet vermouth and almost resembles a Manhattan, many will find a predominantly gin-based Martinez spec being served in bars today, using the London-dry gins, such as Bombay Dry, Plymouth or Beefeater.

Adding another twist to this recipe, I decided to try Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin, which has a notably unique floral and perfumed character stemming from rose, raspberry and peaches. Though Nolet’s might be somewhat new to the market, it incidentally comes from the same family in Holland that produces Ketel One Vodka, and at an average price of $50 a bottle, Nolet’s is certainly a premium gin choice for use in a Martinez. Thankfully, the spirit delivered in providing a gorgeous and delicate floral palate, making for one of the more regal Martinez cocktails I’ve ever had. Perhaps if enough Martini drinkers sip this variation, the Martinez will someday receive its much-deserved acclaim.

The Martinez Cocktail Recipe

• Serving Size: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces Nolet's Silver Dry Gin
• 3/4 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Maraschino
• 2 dashes Bitter Truth orange bitters

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well for 15 seconds.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe and express oils from an orange twist over top, adding it to the glass as a garnish.

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Of all the cocktails proudly wearing the ‘classic’ badge, the Martinez is perhaps the most deserving. Often named the Father of the Martini, this is an old, old drink with a beautiful, burnt honey colour and a complicated but well-balanced, taste.

This is a perfectly elegant post-dinner cocktail but carries enough spirit to see you through a night of debauchery. An added bonus for those still trapped in the quagmire of dating, is how much you can upsell your sophistication levels on a first date by ordering a this drink. Just don’t get smug about it – you should have been ordering these for a long time now.

How to make a Martinez cocktail:

Old School

(adapted from the O. Byron original recipe)

50ml Genever (We recommend using Filliers Jenever 5yr)

30ml Sweet Vermouth

10ml Dry Vermouth

8ml Orange Curaçao Liqueur

1 dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, filled halfway with ice. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Modern Interpretation

(adapted from the American Bar at the Savoy)

20ml Sweet Vermouth

10ml Dry Vermouth

5ml Marachino Liqueur

1 dash of Bokers Bitters

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, filled halfway with ice. Stir Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with an orange twist

A not so brief, inebriated history of the Martinez:

Thought to be the ‘Father’ of the Martini, or at least acknowledged to have had a huge amount of influence on it, the Martinez’s origins belong in a cloudy haze of uncertainty.

It most likely started life sometime in the 1860’s or 70’s, but is first known to have been published in O.H. Byron’s The Modern Bartender, 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 difficulty in this very simple statement is that he gives two versions of the Manhattan and no suggestion of which the Martinez is to follow; both a dry and sweet Manhattan were recorded. In the years since, this has added greatly to the confusion.

The sweet version was the one that was followed throughout the 1880’s but as an appetite for drier drinks became ubiquitous by the 1920s, the alternative that Byron suggested was used instead.

This also coincides with the availability of such ingredients that were necessary in order to make the latter, and the ban on drinking alcohol in America. This led many American natives to European shores, including some of the best bartenders in America, who thus became influenced by a European taste and style, which is distinctively drier.

Robert Vermier’s, Cocktails: How To Mix Them, verifies this change, presenting a drier Martinez than previous recordings. It is not that dissimilar to Harry Craddock’s version. ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’ affirms this type of change to Dry French 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 proportionately less vermouth is used to the amount of gin served. Incidentally, during this era the Martini was also slowly being made drier and drier too.

However, it’s worth noting that apart from in Bryon’s guide, there aren’t two separate recipes for the Martinez cocktail in later recipe books; so it does not seem possible that you could order it dry or sweet like you could with the Martini and Manhattan. If this verbal understanding did indeed exist between barkeep and customer, it was never written down unequivocally. This casts doubt over whether this choice was meant to have existed in the first place.

Even though the dry version was published by different authors more times than the sweet version – Today, the dry vermouth based Martinez is almost never the one that is usually produced when ordered at a bar.

This in part has been the case due to Thomas’s influential book, which has got a near cult status. Jerry Thomas’s “The Bon Vivant’s Companion” also gave rise to a recipe that is often thought of to be the drink’s template and one of the tales for where it was first invented…

A few possible origin stories for the Martinez –

The Occidental Hotel in which Thomas was bartender, was a popular drinking spot and good location for a respite in-between the journey from Montgomery Street to Martinez, the route and destination from which tourists took the ferry. Based in California, the story goes that Thomas created this drink for a visitor bound to Martinez, which he subsequently named the cocktail after. However Thomas had not published the Martinez in his edition of this cocktail guide dated to 1862, only writing about it in his 1887 version, circulated two years after his death.

The source is not referenced in his book. Additionally, there is little other evidence that he was the creator.

Indeed, the people of Martinez claim that the namesake Martinez cocktail was first produced in their town. There is even a plaque proudly hung up that commemorates it’s creation, possibly done so in an effort to protect and certify their story. If this was to be true, then Julio Richelieu’s story could be valid. In about 1870, Richelieu served a customer in his town of Martinez, with a gin and vermouth drink, popped a pickled fruit in and thus created the star of this legacy. Whether this is the real history behind such an iconic drink will always remain a mystery.

The cross over between the Martinez and Martini needs to be examined too.

Whilst now they have been established as two very distinct and separate drinks, it is hard to decipher what their separate histories (if indeed they had separate histories) are and where they are supposed to interweave.

Moreover, just to spite us, the Martine and Marguerite which are also mixes of gin, bitters, and vermouth which were first produced around the same time. This provokes the question of whether or not this bracket of drinks were at one point all the same, but through time and being passed on from one bartender to the next, they came to be the separate drinks that they are today – with their distinguishing yet very similar names.

There is a big question over whether the Martinez and Martini started life as the same drink with different names, but then over time their names got muddled and they evolved into the different drinks that they are today; the former being heavily involved with vermouth and sweet tasting, the latter being a dry cocktail whose central base is that of gin.

Either way, it is commonly believed (by cocktail historians and educated barkeeps) that the Martini and Martinez are related, but it seems we will never be certain.

The Martinez Cocktail Recipe

• 3 mins
• Prep: 3 mins,
• Cook: 0 mins
• Yield: 1 serving

The Martinez is a cocktail that any classic drink connoisseur will definitely want to note. Who knows, it may even become a new favorite!

This is one of the predecessors to the classic Gin Martini. It is very similar though a just a little bit different, so it can easily shake up any cocktail routine you may find yourself in.

In the Martinez, a hint of sweetness is added to the gin-vermouth combination. It opts for sweet vermouth over dry and brings in just a hint of maraschino liqueur. The result is a smooth and uplifting drink that is perfect any time of day.

What You'll Need

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce
• sweet vermouth
• 1/4 ounce
• maraschino liqueur
• Dash of
• Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist for garnish

How to Make It

1. Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Twist the lemon peel over the drink and drop it into the glass.

Variations on the Martinez Cocktail

Just as the Martini has many recipes, the Martinez can be made in a variety of ways:

• Some recipes use dry vermouth and/or Cointreau or triple sec (instead of maraschino).
• Original recipes, such as those printed in Jerry Thomas' bartending guides from the late 1800's, use maraschino.

• To be a traditionalist, use Old Tom Gin like that produced by Hayman's.
• Thomas' original recipe also calls for 2 parts vermouth to just one part gin. Notice that this is opposite of the recipe above.
• The classic Emerson cocktail is very similar. To make it, shake 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, and 1/2 ounce each lemon juice and maraschino.

However you take it, the Martinez is one of the best classic cocktails around. It is one of those easy drinks that you can make your own with just a few tweaks.

How Strong is the Martinez?

As you might imagine with a cocktail made entirely of liquor, the Martinez is not a low-proof cocktail. Drinks of this style never are.

With the recipe above, let's use a 30-proof vermouth, 80-proof gin, and 64-proof maraschino. In this example, we can estimate that the Martinez has an alcohol content of about 31% ABV (62 proof). That is not a light cocktail, so take it easy!

The Martinez: The "Father" of the Martini

We cannot have a discussion about the history of the Martini without speaking of the Martinez. The big question is: Which came first, the Martini or the Martinez? The answer is quite simple: the Martinez.

It is widely accepted that the Martinez had a direct influence on the creation of the Martini. A few accounts of the Martini's origin refer to Martinez, California ​where, I am told, a plaque still marks the occasion. This town had an obvious and direct influence on naming the Martinez cocktail.

The Martinez recipe is old. We know that because it was first printed in the 1887 edition of The Bon Vivant's Companion: Or How to Mix Drinks by Professor Jerry Thomas.

It is Thomas who is credited with creating this sweet drink while working in California for a patron traveling to (where else?) Martinez.

According to The Joy of Mixology by Gary (Gaz) Regan, Thomas' Martinez was heavy on vermouth, light on the gin and called for Boker's bitters, which is no longer available (Angostura is a great substitute). Add a little maraschino and a lemon twist and you have a great, often overlooked, sweetened gin cocktail.

In his book, Regan refers to the Martinez as "born of the Manhattan. and is the father, or perhaps grandfather, of the Dry Gin Martini."

This statement would allude to the possibility that the Manhattan begat the Martinez, which begat the Martini. The Martini just happened to have emerged as the most popular of the three.

Cocktail origins are always a little hazy and have some mystery, so we may never be absolutely sure. However, today's cocktail historians are very good at deciphering and decoding the past and it is a good chance that they are correct on this one.

MARTINEZ COCKTAIL

Some crazy theories suggest that this was the original martini, but it was more probably a variation. In reality, all martinis are a variation on the Manhattan.

Regardless, the Martinez is a very tasty drink, though certainly for a sweeter tooth. Derek Brown serves an especially good one at the Gibson, mixing equal parts Old Tom Gin and high-quality Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth. He also adds a few dashes of orange bitters and an orange peel twist.

There are other recipes that call for aromatic bitters (Angostura or Fee Brothers Old Fashion), a lemon peel twist and a ratio of 2 parts vermouth to 1 part gin. Spirits columnist Jason Wilson enjoys equal parts gin and vermouth with bitters and a twist.

Whatever variation you choose, be sure to use Old Tom Gin, a sweetened gin that has undergone a recent revival after a century of obscurity. It is available at Ace Beverage in Northwest Washington.

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Ingredients

1. • • Ice
   • • 1 1/2 ounces Old Tom Gin
   • • 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
   • • 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
   • • 2 dashes orange or aromatic bitters
   • • 1 twist of lemon or orange peel, for garnish

Preparation

1. 1. Fill a mixing glass halfway full with ice. Add the gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters. Stir vigorously for at least 30 seconds, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the lemon or orange peel twist.

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The 9-Bottle Bar Recipe: The Martinez Cocktail

This combination of gin, sweet vermouth, bitters, and maraschino liqueur makes for a complex, brooding libation that scratches the itch for a Manhattan. But instead of foregrounding woody, vanilla notes from whiskey, the use of gin in the Martinez turns up the volume on the herbal aromatics.

Far more astute and knowledgeable writers than this one have done a superb job delving into the history of the Martinez. In brief, the Martinez — probably minted sometime around the 1880s — represents a connecting point between older, boozy-sweet drinks like the Manhattan and newer, boozy-dry drinks like the Dry Gin Martini along the timeline of American cocktail tastes. But since all that historical detail has been thoroughly chronicled by others, here we'll focus simply on the Martinez itself.

For all its versatility, the 9-Bottle Bar of course presents limitations. (After all, we're working with just nine bottles!) Our chosen arsenal of spirits, liqueurs, vermouths, and bitters comes darn close to making a historically accurate Martinez, save for the gin. The original version includes malty, slightly sweet Old Tom gin (elaborated on here), but for the sake of greater utility, the 9-Bottle Bar favors London Dry in the gin department. If you have a bottle of Old Tom around, by all means use that; if your gin on hand is London Dry, you can still make a tasty Martinez, albeit just a touch drier in style.

The Martinez Cocktail

2 ounces gin (preferably Old Tom, but London Dry works well, too)

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 dashes orange bitters

Combine all the ingredients but the cherries to a mixing glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain contents into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherries.

• Calories 202
• Fat 0 g (0%)
• Saturated 0 g (0%)
• Carbs 3.1 g (1%)
• Sugars 2.5 g
• Protein 0 g (0.1%)
• Sodium 3.2 mg (0.1%)

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Martinez

All that glitters is not gold, and sometimes the best things in life aren’t staring you in the face. The Martinez cocktail recipe might not have a pile of biscuits layered on top, or smoke pouring over the side, but it’s the ultimate drink – impressive in its own way. Mix up a Martinez cocktail because it has both history and flavour on its side.

About this recipe

Ingredients for

Equipment

How to make

Half-fill a glass with cubes of ice.

Using a jigger, measure 50ml Gordon’s London Dry Gin, 10ml red vermouth, 5ml maraschino liqueur and a dash of angostura aromatic bitters into the glass.

Place a barspoon at the bottom of the glass and gently turn to combine all ingredients.

Pour the liquid through a cocktail strainer or small sieve into a coupe glass that’s been chilled in the fridge.

Using a small knife or vegetable peeler, cut a think piece of peel from one turn of an orange. Place on top of the drink to garnish.

Avoid top-ups

It’s easier to keep track of your drinks if you know how many full glasses you’re drinking.

Gordon's® London Dry Gin

Distilling pure spirit with vibrant botanicals, Gordon set the standard for London dry gin with a clean, pure flavour palate, plus subtle juniper aroma.

Martinez Cocktail

• 

Words by: Simon Difford

Widely touted as the drink that morphed into the Martini and then the Dry Martini, the Martinez was originally based either on Dutch jenever/genever or old tom gin. While the Martinez is still made with both of these juniper spirits, due to its domination, for decades it was usually made with London Dry Gin.

Almost every experienced bartender has a slightly different Martinez formula, but along with the juniper spirit base, the recipe broadly calls for sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur and/or orange curacao, and bitters.

As you'll see in 'history' below, this is a cocktail which has been based on different styles of gin and made with both sweet and dry vermouths over the decades. Personally I feel it works best with either genever or old tom rather than London dry gin and my preference is for an oude-style genever. The following four Martinez (with hot links to recipes) are listed here, with my preferred recipe first and least favourite last - they are all tasty:

The original Martinez was almost certainly based on Dutch jenever rather than English old tom or dry gin and O. Byron's 1884 The Modern Bartender suggests it would also have had a couple of dashes of both Angostura bitters and orange curaçao. The proportions of vermouth used reflect the sales of French and Italian vermouths in America at the time.

The Martinez may have originally been based on Dutch jenever/genever but Jerry Thomas' 1887 Bar-tenders Guide and other books over the next few decades specifically call for old tom gin.

This formula calling for equal parts dry and sweet vermouth emerged and became popular in London early in 2008.

This Martinez is aromatic, complex and very dry. London dry has been the dominant gin style for over 100 years and so by extension was the gin most frequently used to make a Martinez. We've ignored a similar fashion towards dry vermouth in such cocktails over the same period due to our preference for a combination of both sweet and dry vermouths.

History/origins

Drinks historians broadly agree that the Martinez evolved from the Manhattan and preceded the Martini and that it emerged sometime in the 1860s or early 1870s. The first known recipe for a Martinez in O.H. Byron's 1884 The Modern Bartender would appear to corroborate both its morphing from the Manhattan and its birth period, as rather than a stand-alone recipe, Byron lists the Martinez as a variation of the Manhattan.

Manhattan & Martinez recipes in O.H. Byron's 1884 The Modern Bartender

Byron's mention of the Martinez as being "Same as Manhattan, only you substitute gin for whisky" is complicated by its appearing on the same page as two different recipes for a Manhattan - one calling for 'dry' French vermouth and gum syrup, the other 'sweet' Italian vermouth and curacao. However, given his positioning of the Martinez directly below the Manhattan recipe calling for Italian vermouth and that sweet style of vermouth at the time being far more commonplace than the drier French vermouth, it could be argued that it's likely Byron used Italian vermouth to make his Martinez.

Then there is the question of what gin? When Byron says gin, does he mean English old tom gin or Dutch genever - drier styled English gins (London dry) were not broadly available in America until well into the 1890s. Fact is, there was little English gin distributed in America during the nineteenth century at all. To quote David Wondrich from his excellent 2015 Imbibe, "In the 1850s, the port of New York was clearing between 4,500 and 6,000 120-gallon pipes of genever a year (roughly equal to some 2.7 to 3.6 million 750-millilitre bottles) as opposed to 10 to 20 pipes of English gin. What's more, if distillers' handbooks are to be believed, domestic American gins were modelled on the heavier, maltier Dutch style rather than the lighter, cleaner English style."

If, as appears likely, the Martinez emerged as a riff on the whiskey based Manhattan, it is not only availability that would have made Dutch genever the more likely 'gin' to have been used in the first Martinez. The mellower, rounder and particularly malty style of the malt-wine heavy Dutch genevers of the period are much closer to that of whiskey, the original ingredient, than the sharper piney English old tom gins. It was a simple riff by the bartender who substituted a malty genever for whiskey to make the first Martinez.

This early period of American cocktail bartending was of course dominated by the flamboyant 'Doctor' Jerry Thomas who preceded his compatriot, Byron, above by publishing the first known bartender's guide in 1862. Tellingly, the Doctor omitted the Martinez from this first edition. Whether this was because he'd simply not come across the drink, it had not yet come into being, or he simply forgot it is unknown. However, claims that he invented the Martinez seem unlikely. His bravado was such that he'd have told all who'd listen leaving a paper trail for us to follow, as is the case for the Tom & Jerry, a drink he defiantly didn't create.

In that first 1862 edition of Jerry Thomas' book, he includes 17 gin drinks with only one, 'Punch by Soyer', specifying what kind of gin, "old gin". As mentioned above, given the lack of English gin available at the time, either sweetened or dry in style, it is assumed that when he writes "gin", Thomas was actually referring to genever, which at that time would have been 100% malt wine genever.

Although frustratingly he does detail recipes for how to make "Domestic", "English", "Holland" and "London Cordial" gins.

Gin recipes in Jerry Thomas' 1862 Bar-tenders Guide

The Martinez Cocktail does appear in the 1887 edition of his Bartenders' Guide (which came out two years after his death) specifying "1 pony of Old Tom gin" and apart from the base spirit, the recipe is strikingly similar to for the Manhattan Cocktail on the opposite page.

Martinez Cocktail in Jerry Thomas' 1867 Bar-tenders Guide

Manhattan Cocktail in Jerry Thomas' 1887 Bar-tenders Guide

Italian or French vermouth?

Sadly, neither Jerry Thomas' Manhattan or Martinez recipes specify whether to use Italian vermouth or drier French vermouth, but, as explained earlier, Italian vermouth was far more commonplace in America at the time. [When making this drink I'd suggest you use this Martinez recipe which is heavy on sweet vermouth with a little dry vermouth.]

The next appearance for the Martinez in the 1905 Consolidated Library of Modern Cooking and Household Recipes, volume 5 by Christine Terhune Herrick and M. Harland (page 55,read on-line here) also fails to answer the vermouth question but continues the trend for the use of old tom gin over Dutch genever. If (as I believe was the case due to availability and flavour) genever was in the original Martinez, it would appear to have quickly fallen out of favour in this and other American cocktails as old tom and then London dry became fashionable. It's worth pointing out that this 'Consolidated Library' recipe is very similar Jerry Thomas' above and also to that for the Manhattan which precedes it in the book.

Martinez in Consolidated Library of Modern Cooking and Household Recipes, volume 5 by Christine Terhune Herrick and M. Harland

"The Martinez Cocktail is very similar to the Manhattan Cocktail, but gin is used instead of Whiskey.

Fill the bar glass half full of broken ice and add:

2 dashes of Orange Bitters

3 dashes of Curacao or Maraschino

¼ gill of Old Tom Gin

¼ gill of French Vermouth

Stir up well, strain into a cocktail-glass, add olive or cherry to taste, and squeeze lemon peel on top.

This drink is very popular on the Continent."

Interestingly, Vermeire goes on to add, "In England the Martinez Cocktail generally contains the following ingredients:

2 dashes of Orange Syrup

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

¼ gill of Plymouth Gin

¼ gill of French Vermouth

The whole stirred up in ice in the bar glass, strained into a cocktail-glass with lemon-peel squeezed on top. Olive or cherry according to taste.

"The Third Degree is a Martinez Cocktail (Continental style) with a dash of Absinthe and an olive, but 2/6 gill of Gin and 1/6 of French Vermouth should be used.

"The Fourth Degree is a Martinez Cocktail (Continental style) with a dash of Absinthe and a cherry, but ¼ gill of Gin, 1/8 gill of French Vermouth, 1/8 gill of Vermouth should be used."

• The Martinez emerged as one of many variations of the Manhattan, and until recent times had little traction, but endured mostly due to its appearance in Jerry Thomas' seminal 1887 'Bar-tenders Guide'.

• The availability of English style gins at the time makes it likely that the first Martinez, made sometime in the 1860s or early 1870s, was based on Dutch genever, and indeed its flavour profile is nearer that of whiskey, the ingredient that was simply switched in this 19th century riff on a Manhattan.

• While the first Martinez might have been made with genever, the fashion for English old tom and then London Dry meant that genever was all but forgotten by the late 1880s until its revival as a cocktail ingredient in recent years.

• Once again, it is only availability that suggests early Martinez recipes were made with 'sweet' Italian vermouth rather than 'dry' French vermouths. As with gin, the fashion towards dryness led to dry vermouth becoming the norm in a Martinez, that is until recent decades when Vermouth di Torino has become more fashionable with bartenders and so has found its way back into the Martinez as the default vermouth. (Not all fashion-led trends are bad!)

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