Martinez — Gin and vermouth cocktail with orange bitters

Martinez

Gin and vermouth cocktail with orange bitters

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 2 dashesAngostura Orange Bitters
    Essential for Martinez authenticity
    Substitute: Regans' Orange No. 6
  • 1 ozSweet Vermouth
    Italian sweet vermouth
    Substitute: Carpano Antica
  • 1 tspMaraschino Liqueur
    Luxardo preferred
    Substitute: Cherry syrup
  • 2 ozOld Tom Gin
    Traditional gin style
    Substitute: London Dry gin

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz Old Tom gin, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1 tsp maraschino liqueur to mixing glass
  2. Add 2 dashes orange bitters
  3. Fill with ice and stir until well chilled
  4. Strain into chilled coupe glass
  5. Express orange peel oils and garnish

Technique Notes

Old Tom is already sweetened, so watch the total sugar. This one goes cloying faster than any other stirred classic in the canon.

Why the Martinez Works

Old Tom is sweetened gin, which is why the vermouth-to-gin ratio leans heavier on vermouth than a Martini — the drink is built around sweetness rather than against it. Maraschino's stone-fruit note threads through both, and orange bitters keep the whole thing from reading flat by adding citrus lift.

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