Reverse Martini
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.4% ABV ∙
The Reverse Martini is a Martini with the ratio flipped: two parts dry vermouth to one part London dry gin, stirred and served up with an olive.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Dry vermouth 60 mlLondon dry gin 30 ml
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with an olive
Tips
- Pick a dry vermouth you'd happily drink on its own; at 60 ml against 30 ml of gin, it's the main ingredient here.
- Stir over ice for about 30 seconds; the larger pour of vermouth still needs that long to get cold and take on enough water.
History
The Reverse Martini has no single documented inventor. It is a long-standing riff that flips the classic ratio so vermouth dominates and gin plays a supporting role, and it is sometimes called an upside-down martini. American chef and television personality Julia Child and her husband Paul were noted enthusiasts who favored it as a lighter predinner drink, helping popularize the "reverse" idea among home cocktail drinkers in the mid-20th century. In recent years bartenders have revisited the idea as part of a broader "reverse cocktail" trend, building vermouth-forward takes for lower-alcohol, aperitif-style serves.
Its parent, the Dry Martini, took shape in the United States in the decades around 1900 as bartenders progressively reduced the vermouth and sweetness of its predecessor, the Martinez. Its name and exact birthplace are disputed among several claimants.
FAQ
What is a Reverse Martini?
A Martini with the usual ratio inverted: 60 ml dry vermouth to 30 ml London dry gin, stirred with ice and strained up with an olive. It is lighter and lower in alcohol than a standard Martini.
What is the difference between a wet Martini and a Reverse Martini?
A wet Martini has more vermouth than usual but is still mostly gin. A Reverse Martini puts vermouth first, two parts to one. It drinks lighter than even a wet Martini, closer to a glass of fortified wine than a spirit-forward cocktail.
What is a reverse cocktail?
Any drink that flips its usual ratio, with more of the modifier than the base spirit. The Reverse Martini is the best-known example: more dry vermouth than gin.
What is a Julia Child's upside-down Martini?
It is another name for the Reverse Martini, a drink the American chef Julia Child was known to favor. It is mostly dry vermouth with a smaller measure of gin, stirred and strained up.
