Of the many types of martinis that exist, the one that everyone recognizes is the dirty martini that uses olive brine to add a salty note to the drink. But there’s another martini version that you might want to explore if you love savory flavors, called the Gibson. The Gibson cocktail is one that’s not seen so often, so it’s worth trying out if you want to order a martini like a pro.
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 an 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.
Gibson cocktail recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces of London dry gin
- 1/2 ounce of dry vermouth
- A pickled cocktail onion
Method
- Add ice to a mixing glass.
- Add London dry gin and dry vermouth.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail or martini glass.
- Garnish with a pickled cocktail onion.
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.
Do you eat the onions in a Gibson?
The pickled onion garnish in this drink raises a question for a novice drinker, though: Are you supposed to eat the onions? And the answer is yes, if you want to! While most garnishes, such as a lemon twist, are primarily for visual flair and to give a small boost to flavor and scent and aren’t usually eaten, savory garnishes like onions or olives are absolutely part of the drink’s experience.
The onions in the Gibson cocktail help give flavor to the drink, but they also pick up flavors from being immersed in the gin and vermouth. That makes them a delicious light snack to enjoy while you have your drink. The flavors also meld together very well, enhancing the salty and savory notes of the drink.
You don’t have to eat the onions if you’d rather not, but they are there for your enjoyment, so feel free to nibble on them if that sounds appealing.
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.
