Tequila Martinez

It's easy to assign spirits to seasons-holiday drinks are always laden with rum, tequila drinks reappear each year at Cinco de Mayo and so on. But the truth is that most liquors are far more flexible than you might originally think-this tequila cocktail won't have you thinking for one minute of guacamole!


Tequila Martinez

1 oz of reposado tequila
1/2 oz of mescal
1 1/2 oz of sweet vermouth
1/4 of maraschino liquor
2 dashes of orange bitters

Combine tequila, mescal, vermouth, maraschino liquor and bitters in a shaker with ice; shake for no more than 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist.


Notes: This cocktail is a variation on the classic Martinez, a gin-based cocktail that may actually be father to both the Martini and the Manhattan. This Tequila Martinez is John's own recipe; many bartenders do not use mescal, and chose a dry or blanc vermouth instead of a sweet vermouth, traditionally included in the Martinez.

If you're feeling flush, a bottle of Carpano Antica sweet vermouth is well worth the investment; you'll never drink another sweet vermouth again. As for tequila, John suggests El Tesoro but any reposado tequila made of blue agave will do. Chose any mescal you like (or have on the shelf), and do try to find a bottle of Luxardo maraschino liquor–I can't tell you how stylish that bottle looks in our liquor cabinet! Cheers!


Photo by Post Prohibition.