Gibson
A dry gin Martini garnished with pickled onions instead of an olive.
Stirred · Martini glass · Medium · about 3 minutes · about 31% ABV
Ingredients
- 60 ml Gin
- 10 ml Dry vermouth
- Cocktail onion (garnish)
Method
- Chill the glass
- Pour 60 ml gin into the mixing glass
- Pour 10 ml dry vermouth into the mixing glass
- Add ice
- Stir
- Strain
- Garnish
About the Gibson
The Gibson is a dry martini garnished with a cocktail onion. One popular story credits the illustrator Charles Dana Gibson. Another says businessman Walter D. K. Gibson asked for it in San Francisco in the 1890s. Either way, the onion is the only thing that sets it apart.
The vermouth cocktail family. Vermouth reached American bars in the 1860s and 1870s, and bartenders began stirring it with whiskey, gin and brandy. That gave us the Manhattan and the Martinez, the ancestor of the Martini. Drinks in this family are stirred rather than shaken, and they are all about the balance between the spirit and the aromatised wine.
Gibson FAQ
What's in a Gibson?
60 ml gin, 10 ml dry vermouth, garnished with cocktail onion.
How strong is a Gibson?
About 31% ABV once mixed with ice, which is 2.0 Australian standard drinks per serve. That is close to a straight spirit, so sip it slowly.
Should I shake or stir a Gibson?
Stir it. It is made only of spirits and wines, so stirring keeps it clear and silky. Shaking would make it cloudy and frothy.
What glass do you serve a Gibson in?
A martini glass, about 150 ml. Chill the glass first and serve without ice. No martini glass? Use a coupe.
