The history of the Martini: the most aristocratic vermouth
Today the term Martini is used by many people as a kind of alcohol, reminiscent of cider, beer or selected cognac. But it is a brand of vermouth, which is an aromatic wine with an addition of herbs. The popularity of this brand is a credit to Alessandro Martini, who became the godfather of this delicious drink and made a literally monumental contribution to its development.
Return to
Aromatic tinctures based on herbs have been known since as far back as ancient Greece. In 1847, the Distilleria Nazionate da Spirito di Vino was established in Turin, which specialised in the production of various flavoured wines with medicinal herbs. In 1857 the Florentine Alessandro Martini named the company Martini, Sola&Cia. The young entrepreneur became quite successful in running the company due to the departure of the elderly founders.
Then Luigi Rossi, a good connoisseur of various herbs, appeared on the board and as a result of his experiments invented the recipe for Martini. This was the start of the official history of this drink, with other marketed brands being bitter or rare to taste.
Development
Back in 1864 a vermouth factory was opened near Turin. Nearby were the Alps with the necessary herbs and the railway. Herbs were important because they were present in the recipe and did not grow in Italy at the time.
Back in 1865 Martini Rosso finally won the very first gold medal in Dublin, followed a decade later by a grand prix in Paris. By the end of the twentieth century, the Martini vermouth produced had won many prestigious awards in the vast world of consumed alcohol.
Types of Martini
Today there are a variety of different types of this popular drink. For example, Extra Dry is noted for its reduced sugar content, while Rosato vermouth is created from a produced blend of red and white wine. The Fiero Martini is mainly produced for Benelux citizens, and the Spirito is a male variation of this popular drink.
D’Oro has delicious citrus notes, sunshine and inexpressible summer warmth. Also under this brand are now released delicious sparkling wines Asti and Prosecco.
Interesting facts
Today, there are a variety of interesting facts about Martini’s alcoholic beverage:
- the popularity of this produced vermouth is evidenced by the fact that the glasses for it are called exactly “Martini glasses”.
- Back in 1977, a limited edition, off-white Martini Edition cars were launched, with richly crafted finishes and a very luxurious package presented.
- There are 35 different herbs in Martini at the moment, many of them medicinal and very healthy. This enhances one’s vitality and greatly improves the digestive system.
- The label of the drink bears the royal coat of arms of the famous Italian monarch Umberto I, which confirms the vermouth’s belonging to the cream of the surrounding society.
- The most expensive cocktail is called “Martini on the Rock,” which costs $10,000 on the market because of the presence of a real diamond in the drink.
The logo for this drink was designed way back in 1929 and has remained unchanged ever since. The red circle indicates a cocktail glass and the black rectangle is the Martini bottle tilted over it.