🍸 The Martini Family Revealed: From Classic Gentleman to Rebellious Youth, There's One to Get You Tipsy!

Author

mixBooze

Posted on January 9, 2025

Classic
Modern Classic
Coffee & Dessert

Think a Martini is just that "shaken, not stirred" cocktail in 007's hand? You're in for a surprise! This 150-year-old king of cocktails has evolved into countless variations in the creative minds of bartenders. Today, I'll unlock seven must-try Martinis that will transform you from a cocktail novice to a bar connoisseur in no time!

🕶️ 1860s The Original Boss: Martinez

Espresso Martini in a glass

Character: Like a gentleman in a velvet suit

  • 🎩 Secret Recipe: Gin + sweet vermouth + maraschino liqueur
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: Born in California in the 1860s, suspected to be the Martini's "wild father" – paternity test still pending
  • 💡 Why You Must Try It: Drinking one is like taking a time machine back to a Gilded Age New York bar

🧊 1890s-1900s The Suited Gangster: Dry Martini

Dry Martini cocktail

Character: The higher the gin ratio, the "Drier" it gets; olive is its soulmate

  • 🥃 Secret Recipe: Gin + minimal dry vermouth = "an adult's bitter-sweet finish" – the drier, the more sophisticated
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: Cocktail historians argue about its origins more fiercely than drunk patrons at closing time
  • 🍋 Fun Fact: The "Drier" the cocktail, the more it's like a slim-fit suit—appears aloof, but is actually quite passionate.

🥒 1900s-1930s The Comeback Kid: Dirty Martini

Dirty Martini cocktail

Character: Its distinctive savory-salty profile, cloudy appearance, and rich mouthfeel, setting it apart from the classic Martini.

  • 🧂 Secret Recipe: Olive brine + gin, with three olives bathing in the glass like bath bombs
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: A New York bartender crushed garnish olives and squeezed their juice into a Martini, accidentally unlocking this "dirty" version
  • 😏 Hidden Talent: Hangover remedy (after all,it's so salty you'll drink water like crazy)

🕶️ 1950s-1960s The Spy's Special: Vodka Martini

Vodka Martini cocktail

Character: The "influencer celebrity" popularized by Bond

  • 🔫 Secret Recipe: Vodka replacing gin, must be accompanied by the phrase "Shaken, not stirred"
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: During the Cold War, vodka rose to prominence as it became increasingly popular in the United States.
  • 🍸 Why You Must Try It: Pretending to be 007 takes just 10 seconds, but the hangover lasts all day

1980s The Night Owl Champion: Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini cocktail

Character: The working professional's survival potion

  • Secret Recipe: Vodka + coffee liqueur + fresh espresso, with foam as the essential cheat code
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: In 1980s London, a supermodel requested something that would "wake me up and mess me up" – the bartender promptly shoved a coffee machine into some vodka
  • 🌙 Why You Must Try It: The quantum entanglement of caffeine and alcohol lets you be alert and tipsy simultaneously

🍏 Late 1990s The Anime Girl: Appletini

Appletini cocktail

Character: The "catfish" of the bar scene

  • 🎀 Secret Recipe: Apple vodka + sour apple juice, must have a fluorescent green appearance
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: Forcibly popularized in the 1990s by "Friends" and "Sex and the City"
  • 🍭 Why You Must Try It: The photogenic star of your social media posts, so sweet you'll forget your alcohol tolerance

💦 Early 21st Century The Sweet Rebel: Wet Martini

Wet Martini cocktail

Character: The Martini family's "sweet girl traitor"

  • 🍯 Secret Recipe: Vermouth content exceeding 30%, gin reluctantly demoted to a supporting role
  • 📜 Origin Mystery: Born from Italian drinkers' protest: "Why can't it be sweeter?!" – forcibly pushing the vermouth ratio to 2:1
  • 🌈 Why You Must Try It: Perfect for spirit lovers disguised as good kids – gentle but lethally effective

Bartender's Friendly Reminder:
Martinis are like love—
Some prefer it hot and intense (Dry)
Some adore it soft and intimate (Wet)
Others crave something a bit heavy taste (Dirty)
So the question is: which one will you seduce tonight?
(Remember: Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol!)