The Martini is probably the most famous cocktail in the world, yet defining it is harder than it sounds. In its simplest form, it combines gin or vodka, vermouth, a dash or two of bitters, and a garnish, most often an olive – although a lemon twist and even cherries appear in early recipes too. Everything beyond that is a matter of choice though.
Sweet or dry vermouth, a ratio of 1:1 or 5:1 or 15:1, olive or twist: each decision produces a different drink, and the combination people favor has shifted dramatically over the last century and a half. The three recipes below trace that shift. We wil start with the first printed recipe for a Martini, from 1888. The second, from 1904, moves toward drier vermouth and the olive that would dominate the 20th century. The third is a modern build, clean and dry, that shows where those changes ended up.
The 1888 Martini
The Martini first appears in print under that name in Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual, and it is generally credited as the earliest printed recipe. It reads very differently from what most people expect as it’s built on Old Tom gin and sweet vermouth, softened with gum syrup and Curaçao, and seasoned with Boker’s bitters. The measurements below translate Johnson’s original instructions into modern terms.
- 0.5 barspoon Gum Syrup
- 0.5 barspoon Boker’s Bitters
- 1 dash Curaçao
- 30mL · 1oz Old Tom Gin
- 30mL · 1oz Sweet Vermouth
- Fill a large mixing glass with ice and add the ingredients.
- Stir well with a barspoon.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Squeeze a piece of lemon peel over the top and serve.
Sweeter and warmer in spice than most people would expect from a Martini, since the Old Tom gin, the sweet vermouth, the gum syrup, and the Curaçao all add a touch of sugar to the overall cocktail. It’s a useful window into where the drink came from, but we still need a lot more to travel before getting to a modern version.
The 1904 Martini
By 1904, the picture had begun to change. John Applegreen’s Bar Book lists both a Martini and a “Martini Dry” recipe, although both still feature a sweet Italian vermouth in their build. On the next page, however, sits the Olivette, built with dry French vermouth and garnished with an olive, which anticipates the direction the Martini would take.
- 1 dash Orange Bitters
- 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
- 30mL · 1oz Plymouth Gin
- 30mL · 1oz Dry Vermouth
- 1 Olive Garnish
- Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until properly chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a single olive.
Drier on the nose and palate than the 1888 version, with Peychaud’s bitters adding a distinct character. At a 1:1 ratio it’s still “wet” by modern standards, but this is clearly recognizable as a Martini.
The Modern Martini
A modern Martini takes those early shifts toward dryness much further. The ratio here is 6:1, gin to vermouth, and a pinch of saline solution and citrus-forward bitters round out the botanicals. For the serve we’ll borrow a technique associated with the Connaught Bar in London where the cocktail is poured from a considerable height, spraying the liquid with lemon peel oils as it falls into the glass. This adds a subtle aromatic touch that avoids overpowering the drink.
- 2 drops 20% Saline Solution
- 2 dashes Orange Bitters
- 45mL · 1.5oz London Dry Gin
- 7.5mL · 0.25oz Dry Vermouth
- Place the serving glass in the freezer, and chill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add the ingredients to the mixing glass with fresh ice.
- Stir until properly diluted, watching for the volume of liquid in the glass to rise.
- Strain into the chilled glass, pouring from a height while spraying lemon peel oils over the stream.
The cleanest of the three, with the botanicals of the gin and vermouth front and center, and the bitters adding richness and complexity. Still, there’s no single correct Martini, only the version that suits your own palate best, and the most reliable way to find it is to make a few and compare. Cheers!
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