Gin and dry vermouth is a martini, right? Yes. But when garnished with an onion, it becomes a Gibson.
Cocktails are fascinating little potions. Sometimes all it takes is to change one thing about any given drink, and it becomes something totally different. The recipe we’re looking at today is a great example of this, the Gibson. Gin and dry vermouth… that is of course, a classic dry Gin Martini. But wait! The garnish in this one isn’t the usual olive or lemon peel. This recipe calls for a small cocktail onion. And now we have a Gibson.
Odd to think something as simple as the garnish giving a mixture like this a completely different moniker. Whose idea was it to make one of these up in the first place, anyway? Well, like many cocktails throughout the years, the story behind the Gibson is a tad confusing. There’s a few origins floating around for this drink, and the further forward we move through time, the hazier its history gets.
The first known recipe for this drink was published in 1908. Some claim a Walter D.K. Gibson created the cocktail at the Bohemian Club before that in 1890s San Francisco. Another legend tells that it was named after a popular California onion farmer. Can you imagine an onion farmer being a celebrity in the 21st century? My favorite story involves an American diplomat who didn’t indulge in or imbibe alcoholic beverages. He would attend cocktail parties drinking water out of a martini glass and used an onion garnish to differentiate his drink from the boozy ones.
Whoever came up with this interesting twist on a classic was definitely a creative thinker.
What is the Best Gin to Use in a Gibson Cocktail?
I love a crisp Gin Martini, and I usually will vary my experience by using different gins whenever I make one. A London Dry is always the perfect choice, but you can also experiment with varieties such as cucumber or even stone fruit infused gin. The same will apply to your Gibson.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1 or 2 cocktail onions for garnish
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Add ice to a cocktail mixing glass.
- Pour in gin and dry vermouth. Stir well for about 30 seconds until well-chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with one or two cocktail onions on a skewer or directly in the glass. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
Chill a martini or coupe glass in your freezer for up to thirty minutes before pouring and serving your drink. Pop a cocktail onion on a skewer and place it in your beverage to make it a Gibson.
This is such a simple and quick drink to mix up that it is best when served fresh and shouldn’t be stored or made ahead of time.
This strong beverage swings in at 219 calories, so watch how many you have.
The Gibson is a martini. It’s just called a Gibson because of the onion garnish.
Similar drinks to the Gibson
The Gibson is classy, elegant and a tad oniony. If sipping on a sophisticated and interesting cocktail is your kind of evening, Twist & Toast can provide some similar elixirs to accompany tonight’s drink. Check these out below and try them with your friends this evening.
- Extra Dirty Martini – At least three olives will quench those thirsty thoughts you’ve been having.
- Saketini – Use sake instead of vermouth for a Japanese-inspired take on the classic.
- Vodka Martini – You can have yours shaken or stirred.
- Gin Martini – Like a Gibson, just with an olive or lemon peel instead of an onion.
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