unforgettable · stirred
Martinez recipe
The Martini's sweeter ancestor: gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino.
A Martinez is 45 ml (42.3 g) Gin, 45 ml (47.3 g) Sweet Vermouth, 5 ml (5.2 g) Maraschino and 1 ml (1 g) Orange Bitters, stirred and served in a coupe. It pours to about 96 ml before ice, at roughly 28.2% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasscoupe
- Methodstirred
- Pour volume96 ml
- Strength (est.)28.2% ABV
- Time4 min
Martinez ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gin | 45 ml | 42.3 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Sweet Vermouth | 45 ml | 47.3 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Maraschino | 5 ml | 5.2 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Orange Bitters | 1 ml | — | 0.98 | 2 dashes |
How to make a Martinez
- Set your coupe on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Pour Gin, Sweet Vermouth, Maraschino and Orange Bitters into a mixing glass, weighing each one as you go.
- Fill the mixing glass with hard, cold ice and stir for 20–30 seconds — until the outside frosts and the mix has dropped to roughly −2 °C.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
Martinez: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Martinez?
Roughly 28.2% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Strong. This is a stirred, undiluted-style drink — one is a full measure.
What glass should a Martinez be served in?
A coupe. Chill it first — a room-temperature stemmed glass will undo half the work you just did in the mixing tin.
Can I make a Martinez without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
Why are some ingredients not weighed?
Dashes of bitters and rinses are too small to weigh reliably — a dash is roughly 0.8 ml, well inside the noise of any bar scale. Count them instead. Everything else in this Martinez is weighed.
If you like the Martinez
Tuxedo
A dry Martini dressed up with maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters.
Negroni
Equal parts gin, vermouth, Campari. Stir over ice.
Bijou
Gin, sweet vermouth, and Green Chartreuse. Jewel-bright.
Casino
Gin sharpened with maraschino, lemon and orange bitters.
Hanky Panky
Gin and sweet vermouth with a bracing dash of Fernet-Branca.
Dry Martini
Gin-forward, cold, and elegant. The ratio is everything.