How did the Martini first come about? A good question with no clear answer. All we know for sure is that the Martini, in one form or another has been around for over 100 years. Recipes from different locations throughout America have turned up dating from the late 1800s. The Martini at that time, was generally a concoction of gin, vermouth and a few other varying ingredients. Throughout the last century, the Martini’s popularity has come and gone.
Prohibition actually introduced many Americans to gin, a neutral grain spirit, which didn't require aging and was fairly easy to distill, swaying them away from the favored whiskeys and bourbons.
In the 1940s and 50s, the use of bittters in Martinis waned, allowing Smirnoff's marketing department to conceptualize the idea of substituting vodka for gin. Around this time, influence of the media made both the symbol of a cocktail glass, and the word Martini synonymous with power, prestige and status. Who can forget the images of Dean Martin, W. C. Fields and Hugh Hefner, to name a few, enjoying life with a martini glass in hand. Movies, television and even novels treated the Martini as a power drink for the rich, the famous and those who live life to its fullest. (Remember the suave Roger Moore portraying James Bond?) It has even been known to have been ordered by several of our American presidents. The Martini was embraced as an American icon.
Today's Martinis, no longer just a before dinner drink, are creative and trendy.
Once again popularized by the media, with Sarah Jessica Parker’s appetite for cosmopolitans on ‘Sex and the City.’ It is now also a symbol for upscale establishments, a place where friends can gather and socialize, see and be seen. The Martini is a true cocktail with a level of refinement and distinction, as unique as the individual who orders it, be it spiked with drama or laced with sophistication. We demand no less than the best and we like to know that the cocktails we order require skill and attention from its creator. That's what we pay for, and that's what we deserve... I'll take mine with a little sugar on the rim and just a splash of attitude, please.
Orlando Martini Bars