National Martini Day

The story

Most cocktails have a clear origin, but the Martini’s history is a bit murky. Some claim it was first mixed at New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel, but its roots likely trace back to the Martinez, a cocktail of gin, sweet vermouth, curaçao, and bitters. One story credits its invention to a San Francisco bartender who crafted it for a miner en route to Martinez, California.

The first recorded Martinez recipe appeared in O.H. Byron’s 1884 The Modern Bartender, linking it to the Manhattan. By 1888, Harry Johnson’s Bartender Manual listed the Martini, featuring gin, sweet vermouth, curaçao, bitters, and a lemon twist. Some believe its name came from Martini & Rossi vermouth, which later popularized the Dry Martini with its advertisements.

By the early 1900s, the Martini evolved, shifting from sweet Old Tom gin to the drier London Dry style. The first known Dry Martini recipe appeared in a 1907 cocktail book, and by 1911, a bartender at the Knickerbocker Hotel allegedly mixed one for John D. Rockefeller.

The Martini’s popularity dipped in the 1970s but soared in the ‘80s with vodka’s rise. The ‘90s brought flavored variations like the Appletini and Chocolate Martini, proving that while styles change, the Martini remains timeless.