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Published: 02/04/24
The Gibson is a time-honored cocktail, made with gin and dry vermouth. It is its unique garnish – a pickled onion – that sets it apart, transforming it into something far more intriguing than the classic martini.
While the Gibson and the gin martini share a base of gin and dry vermouth, it is the garnish that distinguishes one from the other. Traditionally, a martini is adorned with an olive or a lemon twist, each adding its own flavor notes to the drink. The olive introduces a briny depth, while the lemon twist adds a bright, citrusy aroma. The Gibson, however, forgoes these in favor of a pickled onion. This choice of garnish is not merely aesthetic, it imbues the cocktail with an earthy, savory, and slightly sweet undertone, markedly different from the martini’s brine or citrus.
David Embury eloquently summarizes this distinction in his 1948s book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks: “The distinction between the martini and the Gibson is simple. The Martini is served with an olive, the Gibson with a small pickled cocktail onion”.
This succinct statement underscores the essence of the Gibson cocktail, highlighting how a single element can alter the sensory experience of a drink. The pickled onion’s umami quality enriches the cocktail, offering a nuanced taste profile that is at once complex and balanced.
When making it, you can change the proportions according to personal preference, ranging from a dry version with a higher gin-to-vermouth ratio to a more balanced iteration. The choice of gin plays a pivotal role in the cocktail’s character, with different brands and styles imparting their unique botanical profiles. Dry vermouth, on the other hand, contributes a subtle herbal complexity that complements the gin’s botanicals, creating a refined drink.
The origins of the Gibson cocktail are shrouded in mystery, with various tales and theories proposed. One of the more credible accounts attributes its creation to Walter D.K. Gibson, a businessman from San Francisco, who supposedly created the drink in the 1890s at the Bohemian Club.
The Gibson’s first documented appearance was in William Boothby’s 1908 “The World’s Drinks And How To Mix Them” marking its official entry into the world of published cocktail recipes. Subsequent appearances in Jacques Straub’s 1913 “Straub’s Manual of Mixed Drinks” and Tom Bullock’s 1917 “The Ideal Bartender” solidified its status as a staple of the cocktail canon. These early mentions not only provide a glimpse into the drink’s historical significance but also highlight its enduring popularity over the years.
75 ml gin
15 ml dry vermouth
Ice
Garnish: 1-3 cocktail onions
Add the gin and dry vermouth into a mixing glass.
Add ice and stir for 10-12 seconds, until chilled.
Strain into a coupe or martini glass.
Garnish with a cocktail onion.
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