Martinez Cocktail

Lesser known than its cousin, the Martini, but no less delicious.

By
Michael Dietsch
Headshot of Michael Dietsch, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Michael Dietsch
Michael Dietsch is a barfly, boozehound, book hoarder, jazz fiend, and technographer. He has two cookbooks and writes about cocktails for Serious Eats.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated September 05, 2023
A martinez cocktail in a glass with a lemon twist.
Vicky Wasik

The Martinez cocktail may be a predecessor to the martini, but these drinks could hardly be less alike to the modern palate. The Martinez starts with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, and this alone distinguishes it in two ways from the modern martini. You then add a teaspoon of maraschino liqueur and either Angostura or orange bitters.

For this classic cocktail, it's worth taking the time to find Old Tom gin. My preference for this drink is Ransom Old Tom, from Oregon. Distilled with malted barley, it has a maltiness that marries well with sweet vermouth. If you can't find Ransom, Eric Seed's Haus Alpenz line imports Hayman's Old Tom from England. The Alpenz portfolio is now available in 40 states plus the District of Columbia, so you may have better luck there.

September 2011

Recipe Details

Martinez Cocktail Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 3 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 1 serving
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Old Tom gin

  • 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth (I like Carpano Antica in this)

  • 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur

  • 2 dashes orange bitters

  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Directions

  1. Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters. Stir until very cold then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over cocktail to express its oils. Rub rim of glass with peel and discard.

Special Equipment

Mixing glass, cocktail strainer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
190Calories
0gFat
10gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories190
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 5mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g4%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 8mg39%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 53mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes