Martinis have stood the test of time to remain one of the most popular alcoholic drinks of all time. Many popular martini recipes include chocolate flavoring, “Appletinis” and flavored vodkas with current favorites, including rum, Bacardi and Stoli, focusing on brand names. The nightlife popularity of the drink continues to grow from a rich history that started popular phrases like “Get out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini” and a “three martini lunch.”

The basic martini consists of gin and dry vermouth. The martini is widely regarded as a U.S. invention, but like many inventions, its’ true origins have been debated. Many theories revolve around the town of Martinez, California. A popular drink of the same name containing Old Tom gin, vermouth, bitters and Maraschino was popular in the late 1850s with traveling gold prospectors.

Other origin evidence credits Jerry Thomas, famous 19th century bartender who worked at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco when he invented the drink. The Martini could also be a variation of the Martinez, a cocktail made of (approximately) two ounces of sweet vermouth, one ounce gin, two dashes of maraschino cherry liquid, and one dash of bitters, shaken with ice, strained and served with a twist of lemon.

The martini’s popular reign began in the early 1900s. Then, during Prohibition, the martini rose in popularity due to the quick accessiblity/production of gin. Whiskey declined because it required too much aging and couldn’t keep up with demand at speakeasies.

Then James Bond creates another popular resurgence and important ingredient change in the 1960s as Vodka began to replace gin as the main ingredient. Bond films evoked the famous line “Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred.” The best of the two methods is debatable. Shaking cools a drink more quickly producing a chilly fog (by creating tiny bubbles) and creating a slightly different taste, but dilutes the drink more than stirring does.

Eventually, martini variations decreased the amount of vermouth dramatically and even used sake as a substitute. Gin was also substituted for tequila and akvavit. New drinks like the green apple martini, the chocolate martini, Gibson (an onion garnished martini) emerged. Martini aficiandos also enjoyed combinations with cream, fresh fruit and vegetable juices and brightly colored liqueurs. The garnishing olive or lemon twist was complemented with stuffed olives, capers and even herbs.

The martini glasses also grew larger. You can find a wide variety of martini glasses at the glassware page. The Swank Martini Company also offers martini accessories including shakers, recipe books, garnish tools and jiggers.

Visit the following Websites for great martini related recipes:

Swank Martini_recipes

www.chocolatemartinirecipe.net

www.sourapplemartinirecipe.info

www.dirtymartinirecipe.com

www.cosmopolitanrecipe.com

www.barcadi.com

www.martini.com

Sources:

www.rdwarf.com/users/mink/martinifaq.html (accessed 2/1/06)