Thursday, April 28, 2005

1933 Martini

I found this old cocktail book at the local used bookstore.
Be A Good Mixer, Here's How. The After Repeal Guide To Mixed Drinks.
by Emmet Atherton. Pacific Publications 1933.

I was looking through the recipes and came across this classic "Martini Cocktail" recipe. It looks more like the recipe for a classic "Martinez." Martini, Martinez? Same thing.... yeah, right.

Here's the recipe from the book:

Martini Cocktail
2 dashes sugar syrup
2 or 3 dashes bitters
1 dash curacoa
one half wine glass gin
one half wine glass vermouth
Fill glass with ice, stir with spoon and pour into cocktail glass. Put in cherry, olive or pearl onion, squeeze lemon peel on top and serve.

Since there's no specification, and given the timeframe, I'm thinking he's talking about Italian (sweet) Vermouth. And the bitters are most likely orange bitters.

Here's the loose adaptation I'm serving at the bar.



1933 Martini
1 1/4 oz gin
1 1/4 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 blue curacao
3 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters #6

Chilled and straight up in a cocktail glass.