Gibson（ギブソン）
The Martini that wears an onion — same bones, different soul.
01Recipe
Recommended recipe
House spec — an editorial spec drawing on the sourced versions below.
| Ingredient | Measure |
|---|---|
| Gin | 60 ml |
| Dry vermouth | 10 ml |
Total volume (pre-dilution)
6 : 1
- 01
Add gin and vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- 02
Stir until well chilled.
- 03
Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail onion.
Garnish — Cocktail onion
02Taste profile
- Sweetness
- 18Faint
- Sourness*
- 0Faint
- Bitterness
- 32Light
- Fruitiness
- 18Faint
- Herbal*
- 18Faint
- Alcohol
- 80Intense
- Crisp
- 66Strong
Independent editorial scores, 0–100. *Estimated from the ingredient list — a profile sketch, not a verdict.
03History
The name's origin is genuinely contested. The leading story credits Charles Dana Gibson — the illustrator — for asking a bartender at New York's Players Club to garnish his Martini with an onion. Another claims Walter Gibson, a San Francisco banker, in the 1890s.
The onion itself is documented earlier than either: pickled pearl onions were a standard bar garnish by the 1890s. Whoever lent their name, the drink is simply the Martini answering 'what if savoury?' before the Dirty Martini answered louder.
Rule of thumb: if it has an onion, it's a Gibson. If it has olives, it isn't.
Origin contested — the entry keeps verified record and received legend distinct.
Sources — Difford's Guide · Robert Simonson, The Martini Book (2020)
04Recipe versions
Each version is shown exactly as recorded in its source — unverified claims are flagged.
- Difford's Guide
Simon Difford · Web · unverified
- Gin60 ml
- Dry Vermouth10 ml
Stir, strain, onion garnish.
Pick 2 versions to compare — up to 3 on a wider screen
05Variations
06The map
Ingredients
Spirits
