Martinez

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Photo: T.J. McLachlan

Chances are fairly good that you have had a martini; or heard of a martini; or heard about someone who heard about martinis. But did you know that there was a martini before the martini? Let us introduce you to the Martinez, precursor to the ubiquitous martini. Like most cocktails, the history is hazy. Perhaps it was named after a guy named Martinez. Or, perhaps it was named by one of the most famous American bartenders of all time, Jerry Thomas - inspired by a fellow who traveled to Martinez, California every day.

photo: The Museum of the American Cocktail

If the story is that Jerry Thomas named it after a guy who went to Martinez, then let us tell you a bit about the father of American mixology, and author of the seminal work: The Bar-Tender's Guide (or, The Bon-Vivant's Companion) in 1862. It was Thomas' creativity and showmanship that brought to life the image of the bartender as creative professional. His signature drink was the "Blue Blazer" - a dazzling display of whiskey lit aflame, dancing between two mixing glasses, creating a fiery arc.

Although the Martinez is not lit on fire and danced around the room, it was published by Jerry Thomas in a second edition of his book in 1887. While a precursor to the Martini, it should be noted that the two drinks do not share many flavour traits. Instead of gin and dry vermouth (or vodka and dry vermouth), the Martinez employs Sweet Vermouth and a dash of Angostura Bitters (a bartender's staple). We like to use 1 oz of the delicious Plymouth Gin and 2 oz of Sweet Vermouth to round out this cocktail. This drink packs a mild punch, but nothing compared to the bare knuckle fights our Jerry Thomas was a huge fan of! 

Stirred in a mixing glass and garnished with a lemon twist, this drink is sure to satisfy.

Agavoni

Photo: T.J McLachlan

Spring has arrived, and it seems as though, finally, that is a safe bet to make. With spring comes the switch over in preferred cocktails. Cocktails typically have a seasonal relevance, especially when it comes to Winter (like The Stinger) and Summer (Mojitos, Daiquiris). But what about Spring?


Here at The Volstead Act Craft Cocktals, we are huge fans of Campari. This exceptionally appealing Italian Amaro (or Bitters) is a natural way to celebrate the arrival of Spring. While bitter in taste, it has a light delivery and beautiful colour. It also works in many classic cocktails, or as a stand-alone with soda water and a slice of orange (as an Americano).

You may know the Negroni (equal parts Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth). Dating back to 1919, the Negroni was created in Florence, Italy at the Caffe Casoni, as away to strengthen the Americano, by swapping out the Soda Water and replacing it with Gin. We love the Negroni, but we are also very excited about presenting the Agavoni to our menu. It was also a popular choice for the hero, Steve Zissou in "The LIfe Aquatic" (a great film by the way). But this is not a film blog, nor a posting on the Negroni.

One of our favourite books is Boozehound, by Jason Wilson. In it, he introduces to us the Agavoni, attributing it to Bastian Heuser, editor at the German Bar magazine, Mixology. The Agavoni replaces the Negroni's gin with the bright spark of a silver tequila. Accenting the Campari's citrus notes with a couple of dashes of orange bitters, the Agavoni breathes new life into this venerable classic.

To us, this drink tastes like Spring - a season we gladly welcome.

As a side note, and some interesting trivia: during the prohibition era, Campari was considered as medicinal and could be consumed without penalty!