Embrace the stormy weather of April and May with a Martinez

Whenever we have food or drink questions, we go to our favorite foodie couple, Ginger and Jaime at Ginger’s Kitchenware. Looking for a classic cocktail to help us get past the spring blues, they recommended the underappreciated Martinez. The predecessor to the Martini, a Martinez utilizes gin, vermouth and a touch of maraschino liquor for a sweet respite from your typical dry gin drink.

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz maraschino liuor
• orange bitters

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to mixing glass with ice.
• Gently stir and strain into glass.

We love the Martinez because it’s a little sweeter and more approachable than a dry Martini. Our preference is to use Oregon Spirit Distillers’ Merrylegs Genever Style Gin for a true, sweet Martinez and Bendistillery’s Crater Lake Gin for a dryer – but just as delightful – version.

Finally, we can’t recommend Ginger’s Kitchenware enough as the go-to place for food and drink questions in Bend. Ginger and Jaime are phenomenal resources for anything and everything that is delicious and their store is a dream playground for anyone that likes to get creative in the kitchen or the bar.