The Martini Cocktail
A Meditation on the World's Greatest Drink, with Recipes
The first book in decades to celebrate and explore the history of the most iconic of classic cocktails, the martini, with 50 recipes.
JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALIST • WINNER OF THE TALES OF THE COCKTAIL SPIRITED AWARD® • IACP AWARD FINALIST • “Simonson’s a fleet-footed writer, and his thumbnail history is easily satisfying without getting into the weeds. . . . This is a no-brainer for martini enthusiasts.”—Publishers Weekly
A classic martini includes gin, vermouth, sometimes bitters, a lemon twist or olive, and lots of opinions—it’s these opinions that New York Times cocktail writer Robert Simonson uncovers in his exploration of the long and tangled history of the classic martini and its subtle variations. The book features examples of age-old recipes, such as the first…
ROBERT SIMONSON writes about cocktails, spirits, bars, and bartenders for the New York Times. He is also contributing editor and columnist at PUNCH. His books include The Old-Fashioned (2014), A Proper Drink (2016) and 3-Ingredient Cocktails (2017), which was nominated for a 2018 James Beard Award. He was also a primary contributor to The Essential New York Times Book of Cocktails (2015). Simonson won the 2019 Spirited Award for Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer, and his work, which has also appeared in Saveur, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, New York magazine, and Lucky Peach, has been nominated for a total of eleven Spirited Awards and two IACP Awards. A native of Wisconsin, he lives in Brooklyn.