Queen Martini
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 23% ABV ∙
The Queen Martini stirs equal parts London dry gin, dry vermouth and sweet rosso vermouth with a dash of orange bitters. Silky and cool, it glides between crisp and honeyed, with a whisper of citrus lift and a long, gently bittersweet finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 30 mlDry vermouth 30 mlRosso vermouth 30 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with an orange twist and/or olives
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before straining; with no ice in the finished drink it warms quickly without this step.
- Add the orange bitters as a single dash and taste; it's meant to season the vermouths, not dominate them.
- Stir for about 30 seconds over ice to fully chill and dilute the equal-parts spirit-and-vermouth build.
History
The Queen Martini is an equal-parts version of the Perfect Martini, the gin cocktail made with both dry and sweet vermouth. Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930, first codified this style under the name "Medium Martini," splitting its vermouth evenly between French (dry) and Italian (sweet) styles rather than using only one.
The "Queen" name comes from David A. Embury's 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, in which he noted that the same drink, made with equal parts gin, French vermouth, and Italian vermouth, was also called the Queen, alongside other names such as Somerset for related proportions. Later reference guides adopted "Queen Martini" as the name for this equal-parts build, distinguishing it from the standard Perfect Martini, which is typically gin-forward with only smaller equal measures of the two vermouths.
FAQ
What is a Queen Martini?
The Queen Martini is a stirred, spirit-forward cocktail that balances gin with two vermouths, giving it a softer, less boozy profile than a classic all-gin Martini. It's strained into a chilled Martini glass at about 23% ABV and finished with an orange twist and/or an olive.
What is in a Queen Martini?
Equal parts London dry gin, dry vermouth, and rosso vermouth, plus a dash of orange bitters, stirred with ice and fine-strained up. It is garnished with an orange twist and/or an olive.
How do you make a Queen Martini?
Stir the gin, both vermouths, and the orange bitters with ice, then fine-strain into a pre-chilled Martini glass. Finish with an orange twist and/or an olive; pre-chilling the glass matters since the drink holds no ice once poured.
