Martinez: The Pre-Martini

Martinez: The Pre-Martini

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Classic cocktails are all the rage and for good reason. The balance and deliciousness of a well made cocktail is akin to a perfect salad, each ingredient playing a key part while contributing to the whole.

What is difficult for cocktail enthusiasts like me, is figuring out the traditional recipe for one of the many old-school cocktails. Take the Martinez.

What most research agrees upon is that it’s the missing link between a Manhattan and a Martini.  So if the parent drink is a Manhattan (whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters) you swap out the whiskey for gin and now you’ve got the Martinez.  From here you swap the sweet vermouth for dry, drop the bitters, and now you’ve got a Martini.

Okay, I get it.

But how do I actually make one?


Depending on what you read, the classic proportions of gin to vermouth ranges from 1:2 to 3:1.  Some recipes call for Old Tom Gin (a sweeter style than what’s common now) triple sec, orange peel, lemon peel, orange bitters, Angustora bitters, Boker’s bitters, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and on and on. You name it, and there’s a recipe that calls for it. So what was I to do? First, I used what I had, which meant Hendrick’s gin, Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and maraschino liqueur. Then I went about finding the proportions/flavors I liked the best. Turns out, I like more gin than vermouth and prefer lemon peel as a garnish.

What follows is the Boozy Epicure approved recipe for a Martinez.

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
  • 1 tsp maraschino liqueur
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • twist of lemon peel

Put everything except the lemon is a shaker with ice (I use a mason jar, but feel free to go fancy with a Boston or traditional shaker). Shake then strain into a chilled glass. Bend of twist the lemon peel to get a zip of the essence in your drink then garnish with the peel. The lemon aroma is lovely as you drink.

Have you made a Martinez? What did you use? And if you know where I can get Old Tom Gin in Orlando, please share. I may hit Total Wine this weekend.