Welcome, RTD Cocktail Club Members, to our second installment! Twice a month we will be featuring a classic cocktail, sharing the story behind it, and bottling it along with three interesting variations for you to try and enjoy at home. This week, we take a look at the Martinez.
History
Let’s get this straight - there are a lot of stories for this one. Maybe it was first made at a bar in the city of Martinez, California, or maybe the bartender's name was Martinez, or maybe Jerry Thomas was in San Francisco and made it for a dude headed back to Martinez, or maybe it was from New York as the printed dates imply, or maybe... Let’s just look at a few different recipes to see what happened to the cocktail, regardless.
The first printed recipe was published in the Modern Bartenders’ Guide by O.H. Byron in 1884 which called for Old Tom Gin, Sweet Vermouth, Curacao, and Angostura Bitters - it isn’t clear if it’s an original recipe or not, there’s no credit given.
The next available recipe is from Jerry Thomas’s Bar-Tenders’ Guide, published in 1887
(shared by David Wondrich via Imbibe - Copyright 2007)
“Formula #2 Martinez Cocktail”
Take 1 dash of Boker’s Bitters
2 Dashes of Maraschino
1 Pony of Old Tom Gin
1 Wine glass of 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.”
And this is what it looks like almost 50 years later:
From The Savoy Cocktail Book - Harry Craddock - Copyright 1930
“Martinez Cocktail. (6 people)”
Pour into the shaker 3 glasses of Gin, 3 of French Vermouth, add a dessertspoonful of Orange Bitters and 2 of curacao or Maraschino. Shake and serve with a cherry or piece of lemon rind.”
OH, WHAT DO I THINK?!
I think that this cocktail didn’t become as popular as the other precursor martini variations due to the vermouth-to-base-spirit ratio being so high. There was a time many people didn’t have access to quality, properly stored vermouth and therefore developed a distaste for it. However, those times are far behind us and martini variations don’t have to be judged by how little of a “rinse” of vermouth they have. We can enjoy martinis the way they were intended again! What a time to be alive.
SUGGESTED READING
I’m super into the City of Martinez California’s official website where they drop lots of martini history and pride - their version at least.
https://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp
INGREDIENTS TO KNOW TO BE IN THE KNOW
FLAVOR GLOSSARY:
Marasca Cherry - sour, not sweet, and originally from Zadar, Croatia. They would ferment these cherries with a little bit of sugar to make maraschino liqueur. Cherries would then be soaked in that liqueur to preserve them and voila! Maraschino cherries. But now the leap to Italy: Luxardo (and all Maraschino) is originally from Zadar, Croatia but during WWII with the transition to Yugoslav sovereignty, bombings annihilated many of the distilleries and killed many members of the maraschino-making families. The three most prominent distilleries were able to take refuge in Italy and successfully restart their businesses.
Now, let’s look at the American history of maraschino and a “cherry on top”. We wanted our cherries to be large, sweet, and bleached, which created a bizarre cycle of altering to alter the alters. They would bleach them first, which turned the texture to mush, so then they would chemically re-firm them and then add flavoring and coloring, resulting in the monstrosity sitting in your Shirley Temple, and why many people “hate maraschino cherries”. Fun chemistry fact: the cherries were flavored with benzaldehyde, a common flavor compound found in both cherries and almonds. For example, cherry pits impart a mild almond flavor and marzipan often tastes like cherry flavoring.
Spanish Vermouth - the Spanish have entire bars dedicated just to vermouth - that’s serious! Spanish vermouths often have different base wines and herbs compared to their Italian and French counterparts. I explain it by comparing it to the cuisines as a whole: different vermouth flavors tend to align with the food of its country of origin; it may be the “same” product but it’s those little touches that define a culture. We are using Gonzalez Byass’s La Copa Extra Seco - this vermouth in particular is made with a fino sherry base and aged for an average of three years using the solera system (we will talk about that in the future). Wormwood, savory, clove, cinnamon, added red fruits, and the salty sherry backbone alter what flavors the vermouth will bring out in the base spirit it is mixed with in a cocktail.
*In old-timey recipes they would refer to this as ‘French Vermouth’. Italian Vermouth meant sweet red vermouth, but the Spanish make it too!
Nocino - a liqueur produced from green, unripe walnuts, sugar, and alcohol. We are using one that is imported by Haus Alpenz from Austria called Nux Alpina - they infuse with spices and alpine botanicals. (link)
Maraschino - liqueur made from the distillate of marasca cherries originally from Croatia.
Orgeat - syrup made from almonds, sugar, and orange blossom water (link)
Verjus - Green Juice! This is the fresh juice from unripe grapes that was used in the culinary world until lemon juice took over.
Recipes
THE CLASSIC:
1.5 oz Bimini Gin
1.5 oz Italian Sweet Vermouth
1 barspoon (1/8oz) Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes Regan’s orange bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir 15-30 seconds until chilled and diluted by 20%. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish and serve.
*Garnish: we have provided gin/syrup-soaked bing cherries for an extra hint of flavor. If making on your own, you can use the peel from a lemon or orange as a “twist”.
*All cocktails can be served up (chilled, without ice, in a coupe or martini glass)
VARIATIONS:
The Overproof
1.5 oz Bimini Overproof Gin
1.5 oz Spanish Dry Vermouth
.25 oz cherry-orange-verjus syrup
2 dashes Regan’s orange bitters
Follow Classic Recipe directions
The Coconut
1.5 oz Bimini Coconut Gin
.75 oz Spanish Dry Vermouth
.25 oz orgeat
2 dashes spice-rosewater tincture
1 dropper acid phosphate
Follow Classic Recipe directions
The BR1
1.5 oz Bimini Barrel Reserve
.75 oz Spanish Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Follow Classic Recipe directions
How to Make It
First things first, mis en place - get your tools together. Gather a jigger, a mixing glass, spoon, strainer, ice scoop, and the serving glass. Now make sure to have Bimini Gin, Italian Sweet Vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and Regan’s Orange Bitters as well as the cherry garnish.
Next, fill your serving glass with ice and leave it there to chill while you craft your cocktail.
Add all liquid ingredients to empty mixing glass.
Add ice to mixing glass - fill to 1.5” from the rim of the mixing glass.
Stir cocktail with mixing spoon for 15 - 30 seconds until chilled and diluted to around 20%.
Place strainer over the mixing glass.
Empty ice from chilling serving glass.
Strain cocktail into serving glass.
Drop cherry into glass.
Imbibe! Don’t let it get warm!
*Follow Classic Recipe Instructions for Variations*
SYRUPS & TINCTURES:
Cherry Orange Verjus Syrup
Combine 1 cup white verjus with 1/2 cup bing cherry juice. Add 2 ounces of bitter orange simple syrup (mix equal parts sugar and water, boil, and infuse with bitter orange peel). Store in the refrigerator. (link)
Earthy Spice & Rose Water Tincture
combine 2 grams each ground cumin, ground coriander, and whole sesame seeds with 3 ounces of grain alcohol (high proof vodka or Everclear will work). Steep for a few days, then strain out spices with a coffee filter. Add 5 drops of rose water. Store at room temperature.
Acid Phosphate
a blend of citric, malic, and tartaric acids. Used to add brightness/tartness to cocktails without having to use lemon or lime juice. (link)
PRO TIPS:
Balance the sweet ingredients in a cocktail with something earthy, “dry”, or savory. For example, we used dry vermouth instead of sweet and added earthy spices.
Use filtered water to make your ice cubes
Always keep your vermouth refrigerated after it is opened!
TOOLS AND TOOL SUBSTITUTIONS:
Mixing glass - Yarai Crystal Mixing Glass
Pint glass, wide mouth ball jar, large half of mixing tin, your largest coffee cup
Spoon- Cocktail Spoon (they have longer shafts which is better, I swear)
Gary Regan used his finger, a chopstick, a kebab skewer - just something skinny to spin the ice
Cocktail Jigger
Coffee scoop, shot glass, measuring cups or spoons (1 tablespoon equals 1/2oz, 1/4 cup equals 2oz)
Ice scoop or Ice tongs
Measuring cup, serving spoon, or whatever you use to scoop your dog’s food with
Hawthorne or Julep Strainer
Wide slotted spoon, tea strainer, or nest a smaller glass into your mixing glass
