Roosevelt Martini
A dry and bitter gin cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.5% ABV ∙
The Roosevelt Martini combines London dry gin with a generous measure of dry vermouth and a splash of olive brine, served up with two olives. Cold and bracing, with juniper up front over a fuller wash of vermouth's herbal tang, closing on a clean, faintly briny olive finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
London dry gin50 ml
Dry vermouth25 ml- Olive brine10 ml
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 50 mlDry vermouth 25 mlOlive brine 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with two olives on a cocktail stick
History
The Roosevelt Martini takes its name from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was known for mixing his own cocktails and reportedly favored a vermouth-forward martini finished with a splash of olive brine. No codified creation story, bar, or bartender for this specific gin-and-dry-vermouth variation is documented; it exists as a named riff traceable to Roosevelt's personal habit rather than to a single dated origin.
The drink is a variation on the Dry Martini, whose own origin is disputed among several claimants and is generally traced to gin-and-vermouth cocktails served in American bars in the late 19th century. Where the classic Dry Martini is built to be crisp and minimally sweet, the Roosevelt Martini follows Roosevelt's reported preference for a heavier proportion of vermouth accented with briny olive character.
