The Many Origins of the Martini

The Many Origins of the Martini

The Many Origins of the Martini

More debates have been waged about the Martini's origins than over any other cocktail. John Doxat, author of the book Drinks and Drinking, tells a story about a bartender at Manhattan's Knickerbocker Hotel. Mixologist Martini di Arma di Taggia allegedly invented the Martini in 1910 for his most famous customer, John D. Rockefeller. According to the story, the oil baron usually ordered Gin-and-French (gin and French vermouth), but the bartender offered him an alternative that consisted of equal portions of gin and extra-dry vermouth topped with a dash of orange bitters. Voilá, the Martini was born!

However, when this incident allegedly occurred, the Heublein Company had been selling pre-mixed Martinis for nearly a decade. And vermouth-maker Martini & Rossi had been credited with the Martini's creation even earlier, back in the 1880s: a rumor perpetrated by author H.L. Mencken who was also the instigator of a great media hoax about the origins of the bathtub which a gullible reading public also swallowed whole.

One thing is certain, Martinis had been mentioned years before Mr. di Taggia mixed them. The evidence is in the New York Public Library's menu collection. A Hotel Flanders banquet menu (dated November 22, 1899) for a Philadelphia Dog Show Judges' Dinner presented a first course of Blue Point Oysters and Martini cocktails.

The olive, it's said, was added by another Manhattan bartender, Robert Agneau, who used it to conceal the raw taste of American gin and vermouth.

Legends about the Martini's origins range from these marginally believable tales to far-flung-yet-probable myths. The most popular, of course, is the reputed connection between the revered Martini and the cherry-liqueur and gum syrup laced Martinez invented by a flamboyant bartender named Dr. Jerry Thomas. And there is also the tale of the eighteenth-century German operatic composer who drank Dutch gin mixed with dry white wine and cinnamon. Moving from his homeland in search of fame and fortune, he changed his named from Johann Paul Aegius Schwartzendorf to Jean-Paul Aegide Martini (Italian musicians were very popular in Paris at the time). His friends, according to the legend, liked his invention so much they named it after him.

The only point where theorists, traditionalists, and trendsetters all agree is that Martinis must be made and presented with style. This singular golden rule is the difference between the drink author E.B.White dubbed the "elixir of quietude" and other alcoholic beverages such as shooters, coolers, umbrella drinks, and Jell-O® shots.

Since its birth, the Martini has remained a symbol of taste and sophistication and the destruction of business luncheons and livers for well over two centuries.

Martini Fun Facts

Noel Coward would never have been caught dead without a full Martini glass and tailor-made tux on his evenings out. Maybe that's why he always ended up at "marvelous parties."

And even when they gathered outside of the famous hotel in Manhattan, the Algonquin Round Table, the members of that infamous social circle never went without a few shakerfuls to get them through an afternoon of "wisecracks, wordplay and witticisms".

In their longstanding 1930s and 1940s film series, detective Nick Charles and his sidekick wife Nora celebrated the end of each case and every moment in between with a Martini. The Thin Man's creator, writer Dashiell Hammett, was a true Martini connoisseur.

Avid Martini aficionado, comedian, and TV genius Ernie Kovacs added a lighter touch to his favorite drink... a daisy.

The Martini has also been associated with the advertising men who sipped their way through three Martini lunch deals at the Plaza Hotel Oak Room or the Savoy Grill (Remember Cary Grant in the film "North by Northwest"?) while they changed the tide of mass-consumerism to conspicuous consumption. A corporate man was not a real man unless he could break a deal over at least two well-chilled Four Seasons extra-dry vodka Martinis.

Regardless of who you decide to credit for inventing the Martini, one thing remains undebatable: Martinis are enjoyed by millions of people every day. Similar to many other popular alcoholic drinks, the Martini is best enjoyed in a glass designed specifically for the cocktail. Both stemmed and stemless martini glasses are available. If you're a Martini enthusiast, consider personalized martini glasses. A custom engraving adds class to your glass and is a great way to make sure nobody tries to steal a sip when you're not looking.