Martinez Cocktail

Martinez Cocktail Story

The Martinez has a murky origin story, with recipes differing wildly from one bar to the next. Legend has it that Jerry Thomas, pioneer bartender at a hotel near Martinez, California, created the combination of gin, sweet vermouth, bitters, and Curaçao for a traveler making his way to the small frontier town of the same name. The drink appears, dedicated to the traveler, in the 1887 reprint of his Bartender’s Guide. The town of Martinez, however, has long claimed that the drink was created and served in the town, not in honor of the town. Other stories say the Martinez is a twist on a Manhattan, or a version of a Martini, but whatever the story, the recipe has evolved over time, calling for gin, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and maraschino instead of Curaçao.