#GIBSON DRINK SERIES#
#GIBSON DRINK FREE#

If you have a favorite Martini ratio, feel free to use that for your Gibson as well.

However, when it comes to the Gibson, I like to use a longer pour of vermouth. The ratio of gin to vermouth in any martini variation is typically hotly debated among cocktail enthusiasts.Ī common preferred ratio is 4:1, which I love in a classic Martini. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. They’re made with vermouth for an extra punch of flavor.Īnd of course there are a number of cocktail onions on Amazon, my go-to for odd cocktail ingredients!ĭisclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.

My local store also has a made-for-cocktails brand of pickled onions in the cocktail mixers aisle. You can usually find pickled onions in the grocery store where you’d find other pickles. Whatever that original recipe may have been, the Gibson we know today is a simple Martini, garnished with a cocktail olive. There are many stories about the cocktail’s history, but a common theme is that the origin of the onion garnish was to visually distinguish the from the similar classic Martini. Yet another story about the Gibson’s origin is that the drink was the invention of a man named Walter Gibson at the Bohemian Club in San Francisco in the late 1800s. The Gibson Girl was Gibson’s idealized image of feminine beauty, and repeated often through his work. Supposedly Gibson asked Connolly to come up with an even better Martini, and the onion garnish did the trick.Īnother version of this tale says that the Gibson should be garnished with two onions, and that they’re meant to represent the female bust, a symbol of the ‘Gibson Girl.’ Like most classic (and even many modern) cocktails, the history behind the drink is anything but straightforward! Onions and the ‘Gibson Girl’Īn interesting story about the Gibson’s origin is that a popular artist named Charles Dana Gibson invented the drink with a NYC bartender named Charley Connolly. A pickled onion plays up the savory flavors of the vermouth, so the addition of an extra savory garnish seems like a fairly natural progression of the recipe.īut – some say that the early Gibson was in fact a very dry Martini, meaning that it had less vermouth than usual. Some early printed recipes list the Gibson as an equal parts gin and vermouth drink.

Instead, the cocktail appears to have just used a different ratio of gin to vermouth, or been distinguished by omitting the usual orange bitters. Interestingly, early Gibson recipes did not include the onion garnish. A Perfect Martini is made with gin and equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.A Dirty Martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, a splash of olive brine, and it’s garnished with olives.A classic Martini is made with gin and dry vermouth, traditionally with a dash of orange bitters, and it’s garnished with a lemon twist or an olive.For clarity, let’s break down the primary types of martinis: The Gibsons served today are characterized by the addition of a cocktail onion garnish. What’s the difference between a Gibson and other martinis? The umami flavors of the pickled onion make for one satisfyingly savory martini. For the variation, add brine and bitters to the mixing glass before stirring.The Gibson is a Martini variation that’s made with gin and dry vermouth and garnished with a cocktail onion. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. To a mixing glass add ice, gin and vermouth. Suggested pairing: a rousing game of chess. For a slightly more savory cocktail, try the variation, which adds a few drops of brine and a dash of celery bitters to elevate the drink and its complexity. This simple gin cocktail hits the spot when preferring a savory sip and can even satisfy when you’re feeling slightly hungry.īecause it is the least sweet among the gin varieties, London dry gin is typically preferred in a dry, briny drink like the Gibson.

#GIBSON DRINK SERIES#

The Gibson is a classic cocktail that has seen renewed interest recently thanks to “The Queen’s Gambit,” a popular series with Lexington ties.

Gibson drink