Wednesday, July 20, 2016

History of martini cocktail

The origins of the martini are as shrouded in mystery as the origins of the cocktail itself. Some say it first appeared in New York, others favor San Francisco. More likely is that it was named for the Martini & Rossi company. Recipes for a drink called the ‘Matinez’ appeared beginning in 1884. The second edition of Thomas’s Bar-Tender’s Guide includes one made with gin, vermouth, bitters, two dashes of maraschino, and ice.

Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders’ Manual (1889) offered a martini cocktail recipe (gin, vermouth, bitters, curacao, gum syrup and ice) and also illustrations of two different ‘Martine’ glasses.

In the 1950s, vodka began to challenge gin on mixed drinks, including the Screwdriver, the Bloody Mary, the Tom Collins, and other drinks, particularly the vodka martini, and by the 1960s, it had triumphed.

Cocktails in the mid-twentieth century were gendered. The martini was a man’s drink in its pure form, dry and bracing, sporting an olive or a pearl onion as a garnish.

Martini glasses were gender-neutral, but only appropriate for men if the drink was clear like a classic martini, or brown like a Manhattan. Pastel drinks in martini glasses up through the 1970s were only appropriate for women.
History of martini cocktail

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