When it comes to influential truly classics there are a few that comes to my mind, the old fashioned, the improved cocktail and the Martinez. The Martinez considered by some to be the predecessor to the martini, and perhaps also the Manhattan, consists of gin, vermouth, bitters and maraschino liqueur. Compared to the martini, posted last week, this cocktail has another layer of complexity due to the maraschino. The cocktail is an interesting alternative for the martini drinker who wants to broaden their horizon without reaching far away from their usual cocktails. Personally, I prefer this cocktail over the normal martini, either sweet or dry.
My Recipe
- 2 oz (6 cl) Old Tom Gin
- 1 oz (3 cl) Sweet Vermouth
- 1 barspoon Maraschino Liqueur
- 2 dash Boker’s Bitters
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an orange or lemon twist.
Maraschino Liqueur
Maraschino Liqueur is made from distilling marasca cherries. The cherries that originally grew on the Dalmatian coast in Croatia. What makes the liqueur interesting and special is that the cherries are fermented with all parts, including the pits. This fermented fruit is distilled preferably using pot stills, before diluted and sweetened. The liqueur is grassy, slightly almondy and to many quite dry in taste. Despite what many thinks regarding maraschino, that it should taste like cherries, it does not really have strong cherry flavour. Using any cherry liqueur to substitute for maraschino is not possible neither is using the syrup from maraschino cherries, like the Luxardo variation used for garnish. This liqueur performs well in cocktails with as little as one barspoon adding a lot of complexity to otherwise plain cocktails. However, some cocktails utilise the boldness of the liqueur to make the cocktails unique and give them character, such as the Aviation or the Last Word. For me a bottle of maraschino one of the bottles I think is crucial to have in my home bar.