The most magical thing about getting into cocktail culture and home bartending is learning about unique, lesser-known, classic mixed drinks you might otherwise never learn about. We’re talking about drinks like La Louisiane, Fallen Angel, and the Gibson. And while we could spend all day writing about classic cocktails that have seemingly become lost in time, today it’s the Gibson’s turn.
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What is the Gibson?
A take on the classic Martini, the Gibson is made with gin and dry vermouth. Where it differentiates from the other iconic drinks is with its garnish. Instead of an olive or lemon twist, the Gibson gets added flavor from the addition of a pickled onion. The result is the traditional juniper, botanical, and dry vermouth flavor Martini lovers crave with the savory, salt, spice, pickled flavor of a pickled onion.
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Other takes on the Martini
The Gibson, with its pickled cocktail onion, isn’t the only take on the classic Martini. Of course, there’s the Dry Martini (with very little vermouth) and the Dirty Martini (with olive juice). But there’s also the Vesper (made with vodka, gin, and Lillet wine), The Last Word (made with gin, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, and Maraschino liqueur), Martinez (made with gin, sweet red vermouth, Maraschino liqueur, and bitters), Aviation (Made with gin, lemon juice, Maraschino liqueur, and Crème de violette), and many more.
The history of the Gibson
Like with many classic cocktails, the history of the Gibson is up for debate. While there are a few stories about its creation, the most commonly believed story takes place in 1898. This was when the drink was purported to have been invented at San Francisco’s Bohemian Club.
Even with this believable story, there’s still a debate about who the drink was named after. It was either Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson or renowned businessman Walter DK Gibson. Regardless of when it was made and by who, we can all agree that this extra salted, pickled take on the classic Martini has stood the test of time.
What you need to make a Gibson
- 3 ounces of London dry gin
- .5 ounces of dry vermouth
- A pickled cocktail onion
The Gibson recipe steps
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Add London dry gin and dry vermouth.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail or Martini glass.
5. Garnish with a pickled cocktail onion.
Bottom line
If you’re a Martini fan and you’ve never branched out to any of the other versions of the popular drink, you’re missing out. Maybe you don’t want to go as far as whipping up an Appletini or Espresso Martini, but you can make this simple take on the drink. All you need to do is make your favorite Martini and add a pickled cocktail onion (or two). That’s it.
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