No one knows exactly when and where the Martini was invented. Its name also remains a mystery, and although it shares its name with a famous Italian vermouth producer, this is coincidental and not intentional. Some people point towards the Martinez, a cocktail made with Genever and sweet vermouth, which is the origin to the now ‘dry martini’, using a dry vermouth rather than a sweet vermouth.
There are many cocktails from the mid- to late 1800’s that seem like an inspiration or a variation on the classic Gin and Vermouth mix. Hence we can call all variations ‘Martini style’ cocktails. The classic Gin Martini is simply the most well known and easiest version of it.
