The Martini Cocktail: Deconstructing a Classic. Part 7: Modern recipes

Having established what was meant by a Manhttan Cocktail, a Martinez Cocktail and a Martini Cocktail in the times leading up to Prohibition, the question is: what do we mean by them today?

We had established that a Martinez Cocktail and a Martini Cocktail must be considered identical based on historical recipes. In this series we do not want to go into how the Martini Cocktail has developed and changed over time since the beginning of Prohibition. But we do want to look at what today’s bartenders mean by a Martinez Cocktail and a Martini Cocktail. The Manhattan Cocktail should also not be forgotten in this context. We look at various modern recipes and classify them in the “classic” groups.

Der Manhattan

Dry Plain Manhattan Cocktail

[2008 DeGroff]
60 ml blended whiskey, 30 ml Italian vermouth, 2 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: cherry. (Manhattan)

[2010 Kosmas & Zaric]
90 ml Woodford Reserve 90-proof bourbon whiskey, 45 ml Dolin Rouge vermouth, 3 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: 3 cherries. (Contemporary Manhattan)

[2011 Parsons]
60 ml Rye Whiskey or bourbon whiskey, 30 ml sweet vermouth, 1 d Angostura bitters or other aromatic bitters, 1 d orange bitters. Garnish: cherry or lemon zest. (Manhattan)

[2011 Adam, Hasenbein, Heuser]
60 ml bourbon whiskey or rye whiskey, 30 ml red vermouth, 2 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: lemon zest. (Manhattan)

[2011 Meehan]
60 ml Wild Turkey rye whiskey, 30 ml Martini Rosso, 2 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: 3 cherries. (Manhattan)

[2013 Stephenson]
50 ml Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey, 25 ml Martini Rosso vermouth, 2 d Bob’s Abbotts bitters. Garnish: cherry or orange zest. (Manhattan)

[2013 Victoria Bar]
60 ml rye whiskey, 20 ml vermouth, 2-3 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: cherry. (Manhattan)

[2014 Kaplan, Fauchald, Day]
75 ml Rittenhouse 100 rye whiskey, 22,5 ml sweet house-vermouth, 2 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: cherry. (Manhattan)

Dry Fancy Manhattan Cocktail

[2010 Kosmas & Zaric]
45 ml Rittenhouse 100-proof rye whiskey, 52,5 ml Dolin Rouge vermouth, 15 ml Grand Marnier, 3 d Angostura bitters. Garnish: lemon zest. (Manhattan Cocktail)

We find that a Manhattan today is basically a Dry Plain Manhattan Cocktail.

Der Martinez

Dry Fancy Martinez Cocktail

[2008 DeGroff]
30 ml Italian vermouth, 30 ml gin, 2 d Angostura bitters, 2 d curaçao (Martinez)

[2009 Regan]
60 ml sweet vermouth, 30 ml gin, 1 d Angostura bitters, 5 ml maraschino. (Martinez à la Imbibe)

[2010 Kosmas & Zaric]
22,5 ml Dolin Blanc vermouth, 75 ml Beefeater 24 gin, 7,5 ml absinthe bitters, 15 ml Luxardo maraschino. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martinez)

[2010 Kosmas & Zaric]
30 ml Dolin Rouge vermouth, 52,5 ml Beefeater London Dry gin, 1 d Reagan’s orange bitters No. 6, 7,5 ml Luxardo maraschino. Garnish: lemon zest. (Cassic Martinez)

[2011 Adam,Hasenbein, Heuser]
60 ml red vermouth, 30 ml oude genever or Gin, 2 d Angostura bitters, 5 ml maraschino. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martinez)

[2011 Mehan]
45 ml Dolin sweet vermouth, 45 ml Hayman’s Old Tom gin, 2 d Dr. Adam Elmegirag’s Boker’s bitters, 7,5 ml Luxardo maraschino. Garnish: orange zest. (Martinez)

[2011 Parsons]
30 ml sweet vermouth (preferably Antica Formula), 30 ml Old Tom gin (preferably Ransom Old Tom), 2 d Boker’s bitters or Angostura bitters, 5 ml maraschino. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martinez)

[2013 Stephenson]
25 ml Martini Rosso vermouth, 50 ml Tanqueray gin, 3 d Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s bitters, 5 ml maraschino. Garnish: orange or lemon zest or cherry. (Martinez)

[2014 Kaplan, Fauchald, Day]
30 ml sweet house-vermouth, 15 ml Ransom Old Tom gin, 45 ml Hayman’s Old Tom gin, 1 d orange house-bitters, 2,5 ml Luxardo maraschino, 2,5 ml Massenez Kirsch Vieux Kirschbrand. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martinez)

Sweet Fancy Martinez Cocktail

[2012 Sandham]
30 ml sweet vermouth, 30 ml Beefeater gin, 2 d Angostura bitters, 2 d sugar syrup, 1 d curaçao. Garnish: lemon zest oder Olive. (Martinez)

As we can see, today a Martinez is basically a Dry Fancy Martinez Cocktail or a Dry Fancy Mrtini Cocktail.

Der Martini

Extra Dry Martini Cocktail

[2008 DeGroff]
4 d dry French vermouth, 75 ml London dry gin oder wodka. Garnish: olive and lemon zest. (Dry Martini)

[2008 DeGroff]
2 d dry French vermouth, 75 ml gin or wodka. Garnish: olive. (Extra Dry Martini)

[2009 Regan]
15 ml dry vermouth, 75 ml gin. Garnish: olive or lemon zest. (Dry Martini)

[2009 Regan]
45 ml Noilly Prat vermouth, 45 ml Beefeater or Tanqueray gin, 1 d orange bitters. Garnish: orange or lemon zest. (Dry Martini à la Imbibe)

[2011 Adam,Hasenbein, Heuser]
30 ml dry vermouth, 60 ml gin, 2 d orange bitters. Garnish: lemon zest and/or Olive. (Martini Cocktail)

[2011 Mehan]
30 ml Dolin vermouth dry, 90 ml Plymouth gin. Garnish: olive or lemon zest. (Martini)

[2011 Parsons]
15 ml dry vermouth, 45 ml gin (preferably Plymouth), 1 d orange bitters. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martini)

[2012 Sandham]
15 ml dry vermouth, 60 ml gin. Garnish: olive oder lemon zest. (Martini)

[2013 Stephenson]
15 ml Martini extra dry vermouth, 50 ml Tanqueray No. Ten gin. Garnish: olive or lemon zest. (Martini)

[2013 Victoria Bar]
10-30 ml Noilly Prat, 60 ml gin, 2 d bitters. Garnish: olive or lemon zest (Martini)

[2014 Kaplan, Fauchald, Day]
22,5 ml Dolin dry vermouth, 75 ml Plymouth gin or Beefeater London dry gin oder Tanqueray London dry gin, 1 dash house orange bitters. Garnish: lemon zest. (Martini)

[2014 Morgenthaler]
15 ml dry vermouth, 75 ml London dry gin. Garnish: lemon zest or olive. (Martini)

Dry Martini Cocktail

[2012 Sandham]
20 ml sweet vermouth, 60 ml Gin. (Sweet Martini)

As we can see, today a Martini is basically understood to be an Extra Dry Martinez Cocktail or Extra Dry Martini Cocktail.

We can therefore conclude that the original variety of the Martinez cocktail or the Martini cocktail has been considerably reduced; today, a Martinez is understood to be a Dry Fancy Martinez cocktail, while the name Martini has become established for the Extra Dry variant.

Final view

As we have seen, not much remains of the original variety of the Manhattan Cocktail, Martinez Cocktail and Martini Cocktail. This is not a big deal; however, it is important to know this historical background. Today, a Manhattan is basically a Dry Plain Manhattan Cocktail, a Martinez is basically a Dry Fancy Martinez Cocktail or Dry Fancy Martini Cocktail and a Martini is basically an Extra Dry Martinez Cocktail or Extra Dry Martini Cocktail.

This is a good thing, because it makes it easier to order in the bar without having to explain how exactly the Martini should be made, for example, whether sweet, dry, extra dry, plain or fancy. On the other hand, anyone who wants a recipe that deviates from this standard can still indicate this. However, it is exciting to know the historical variety, as numerous variations and twists can be derived on this basis.

Let’s just take it for what it is and consider the Martini a New Fashioned Martinez or the Martinez an Old Fashioned Martini – according to your own preference.

Quellen

1. Brad Thomas Parsons: Bitters. A spirited history of a classic cure-all with cocktails, recipes & formulas. ISBN 978-1-58008-359-1. Ten Speed Press, 2011.
2. Dale DeGroff: The Essential Cocktail. The Art of Mixing Fancy Drinks. ISBN 978-0-307-40573-9. New York, Clarkson Potter, 2008.
3. David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald & Alex Day: Death & Co. Modern Classic Cocktails. ISBN 978-1-60774-525-9.Ten Speed Press, Berkley, 2014.
4. Gaz Regan: The Bartender’s Gin Compendium. ISBN 978-1-4415-4688-3. 2009.
5. Helmut Adam, Jens Hasenbein & Bastian Heuser: Cocktailian 1. Das Handbuch der Bar. ISBN 978-3-941641-41-9. 2. Auflage, 2011.
6. Jason Kosmas & Dushan Zaric: Speakeasy. Classic Cocktails reimaged, from New York’s Employees Only Bar. ISBN 978-1-58008-253-2, Ten Speed Press, 2010.
7. Jeffrey Morgenthaler: The Bar Book. Elements of Cocktail Technique. ISBN 978-1-
   4521-1384-5. Cronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, 2014.
8. Jim Meehan: Das Geheime Cocktail-Buch (The PDT Cocktail Book). ISBN 978-3-89955-436-6. New York 2011.
9. Tom Sandham: World’s Best Cocktails. 500 Signature Drinks from the World’s Best Bars and Bartenders. ISBN 978-1-59233-527-5. Fair Winds Press, Beverley 2012.
10. Tristan Stephenson: The Curious Bartender. The Artistry and Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail. ISBN 978-1-84975-437-8. Ryland Peters & Small, London, New York, 2013.
11. Victoria Bar: Die Schule der Trunkenheit. Eine kurze Geschichte des gepflegten Genießens. ISBN 978-3-8493-0323-5. Merolit Verlag GmbH&Co.KG, 1. Auflage, 2013.

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