Martinez Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill it with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail (about 5 minutes).

Combine ingredients

In a mixing glass, add 1 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 1 oz St. George Red Wine Barrel-Aged Gin, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 0.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino (optional), and 2 dashes of cardamom bitters.

Add ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes until nearly full. Stir gently but steadily for 25–30 seconds (about 20–30 full strokes) to properly chill and dilute the cocktail—aim for about 20% dilution from the cold ice.

Prepare glass and garnish

If you chilled the serving glass with ice water, discard the ice water and dry the glass. Express the oils of an orange or lemon twist over the chilled glass by holding the twist over the glass and giving it a quick squeeze so the citrus oils spray onto the surface.

Strain and serve

Double-strain the stirred mixture into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using a Hawthorne or julep strainer (and a fine mesh if you used crushed ice). Garnish by dropping the expressed twist into the drink or resting it on the rim.

Optional adjustments

If you prefer a slightly drier Martinez, reduce the sweet vermouth to 0.75 oz and increase Sipsmith to 1.25 oz. For more red-wine barrel influence, increase the St. George barrel-aged gin to 1.5 oz and reduce the Sipsmith accordingly—adjust balance to taste.