The Martinez emerged in the late 1860s or early 1870s and first appeared in print courtesy of O. H. Byron’s Modern Bartender’s Guide (1884). In lieu of its own recipe specs, Byron writes that it is the “same as Manhattan, only you substitute the gin for whisky.” The only problem is the book has two Manhattan recipes, one that calls for a “pony” of dry French vermouth and the other that asks for a wineglass of sweet Italian vermouth. That latter recipe makes for a Martinez that is obviously quite sweet, all the more so in that most people of the time used Old Tom gin as their base. Correcting that somewhat, Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge’s modern adaptation combines Byron’s two recipes, along with the small addition of Irish whiskey, which is used to impart a faint character of wood and grain no longer found in modern-style gin.
Martinez
Adapted by Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge, Global Brand Ambassador, Plymouth Gin
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Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 5 parts gin, preferably Plymouth Gin
- 1 part red vermouth, preferably Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
- 1 part dry vermouth, preferably Dolin de Chambéry Dry Vermouth
- 1/2 part orange Curaçao, preferably Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao
- 1/2 part Irish whiskey, preferably Green Spot Irish Whiskey
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Directions
- Stir ingredients together in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.