Dry Martini is one of those cocktails, you can find at almost every bar and everyone labeled as a Bartender knows how to make. This classic drink contains gin, Dry Vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters. Stirred, not shaken, unlike 007’s favorite Vesper. Strained into a chilled martini glass, usually garnished with an olive and /or a lemon twist. It’s an amazing cocktail, worth the try.

Unfortunately, Martini’s origin is unclear, just like most of the classic cocktails. Was it concocted during the Gold Rush in 1849, or did a bartender from a New York City hotel mixed it in the early 1900s? There are few stories, but the most believable one is about a cocktail called Martinez.

Supposedly the first version of the Martini. They served the Martinez in the early 1860s and Jerry Thomas describes it in his “Bartender’s Guide, and How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks” from 1887. The drink contained a dash of bitters, two dashes of Maraschino, 1 ounce of Old Tom Gin, and 2 ounces of sweet vermouth. Shaken and strained into a large cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon slice. Of course, these are just stories, but the one thing we can say for sure is that Martini was originally a sweet cocktail. 19th-century cocktail books call for sweet vermouth. Dry Martini as we know it now became a thing somewhere around 1905 when dry gin and dry vermouth got more popular.

If you have a passion for cocktails and bartending, you definitely need to have this one in your arsenal. Read it, memorize it, try it. A well-made Martini will impress anyone with a bit of class. 😉

On the list of IBA Official Cocktails.

Ingredients:

  1. 2 Ounces (60 ml) London Dry Gin.
  2. 1 Ounce (30 ml) Dry Vermouth.
  3. A dash of orange bitters.
  4. Lemon or olives for garnish.

Preparation:

  1. Add the gin, vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass and fill it up with ice.
  2. Stir for about 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled Martini glass.
  4. Garnish with a lemon twist or olive (squeeze the lemon peel on top of the glass and leave it in).
  5. Enjoy.

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