Martinez

Recipe: Martinez (serves one)

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
• 1 dash (= 1/8 tsp) orange bitters
• cherry

Shake liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into champagne coupe. Garnish with cherry.

The Martinez has a long history: it was described in an 1884 bartender’s guide as a Manhattan with gin in place of the whiskey, and may have evolved into the better-known Martini. Recipes vary wildly in their ratio of gin to vermouth, from 1:2 in early recipes to 4:1 in the version we made. The amount of maraschino liqueur varies as well. We prefer a high ratio of gin to keep the drink on the dry side, and a good portion of maraschino for its distinctive cherry flavor.

We first made this cocktail at a friend’s house, and liked it so much that we bought our own bottle of Luxardo maraschino liqueur.