Before I tell you the story, for anyone who wants to recreate it at home I've put together a ready-to-shop list with all the exact ingredients you need. Now, onto the legend.
The Martinez is considered the father of the modern Martini, born between 1860 and 1870. The most famous theory credits Jerry Thomas, who allegedly invented it at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco for a gold miner headed to the town of Martinez, California. A competing theory places the invention directly in the town of Martinez, at the hands of bartender Julio Richelieu.
What is certain is that in the 1884 edition of Jerry Thomas' bartending manual, the Martinez already appeared with Old Tom Gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino and orange bitters, a recipe that would evolve in the following decades into what we know today as the Dry Martini. The Martinez is therefore the missing link in the evolution of American bartending.
Beyond the ingredients, what makes a home cocktail truly memorable is the gear. A proper barman kit like this one on Amazon gives you the shaker, jigger, strainer and bar spoon you need to treat every guest like a regular at a legendary bar. And if you love entertaining, upgrading to a full professional cocktail bar station turns your kitchen corner into a real, organized bar where bottles stand ready and nothing is out of place.