This is a version of the traditional martini, as it was done in the late 19th and early 20th century. During that time the martini was a cocktail with gin and vermouth, by specifying which kind of vermouth was wanted the cocktail was either sweet or dry. Sweet vermouth in the martini meant a sweet martini, dry vermouth meant a dry martini. Today this has lost its meaning, when people claiming a dry martini is one with small amounts of vermouth. This is today the opposite of a “wet” martini which is made with higher quantities of vermouth. The terminology has gotten lost over time. At some points in time vermouth have become less popular or the quality has dropped, meaning the cocktails with vermouth have fallen out of fashion, and traditional cocktails containing vermouth tends to minimise the amount of vermouth in them. For me a martini has 3 ingredients, which all are crucial if any of them are switched it is not a martini anymore. The ingredients are gin, vermouth (sweet or dry) and bitters. If someone chooses to switch out the gin for vodka it technically turns into a kangaroo kicker, though many consider that to be more of a true martini than this sweet martini I share today. Switch it for whiskey and you get a Manhattan, or a derivative thereof, that is it is easy to create a new cocktail, but anything swerved in a v-shaped cocktail glass is NOT a martini and I think that is important to remember.

This cocktail is definitely not an easy to enjoy cocktail. If you like strong cocktails and gin it might be something for you, I used carpano antica as a vermouth which is bold in flavour and will overpower most ingredients. If one uses that vermouth, should really like it and find a gin that can stand up to such a flavourful vermouth. For my cocktail I chose a traditional London dry gin as nuances will not be lost and the character of the gin stands up against the vermouth. The cocktail is sweet and goes down surprisingly easy, almost dangerously easy. For me it is an interesting alternative to all the popular versions of the martini and if a good vermouth is used probably one of the better martinis.

My Recipe:

  • 2 oz (6 cl) Gin
  • 1 oz (3 cl) Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 dashes Orange Bitters

Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.