Barrel-Aged Martinez

2014-08-24

Ingredients

  • 2 parts Gin (Old Tom style)
  • 1½ parts Sweet Vermouth
  • ¼ part Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
  • ½ oz Boker’s (or Angostura) Bitters per 1½ liters of Gin

  • Pour all ingredients into a clean oak barrel. The barrel character will be apparent by week one and continue to deepen following that. To serve: tap 4 ounces into a mixing glass. Stir with ice to chill and strain into a Coupe Glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist. (Or bottle the contents of the barrel into clean single-serving bottles. Cap, refrigerate, pour into a chilled Coupe Glass, and garnish as described above.)

The Martinez is a great cocktail to age in a barrel. The complexities which the oak barrel imparts (smoke, oak, and a hint of vanilla) certainly make aging this wonderful cocktail worth the wait. You’ll notice the barrel’s influence in about a week, but it will really become impressive at about 4-weeks (in our 3-liter barrel – longer for larger barrels). Don’t have a barrel yet? No Problem! Just mix-up the classic Martinez in your mixing glass. We enjoy making it just like Jerry Thomas did back in the nineteenth century (and how he described it in the 1887 edition of his book: How to Mix Drinks). He used Old Tom Gin – a mild, smooth, and sweeter Gin as compared to London Dry Gin (which had yet to come on the scene). After prohibition, Old Tom Gin lost its favor and London Dry Gin became the market’s dominant Gin. So make this the classic way, and enjoy the depth that only barrel-aging can bring to a cocktail. For tips on using cocktail aging barrels, check out our Tools & Technique video detailing their care and management, and check out all the cocktails we love to age in oak. Cheers!

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