I love to drink Martinis,
Two at the very most
After three I’m under the table,
After four I’m under my host.
-Dorothy Parker

The origins of the martini are mysterious, and the martini’s origins are completely lost to history. There are conflicting accounts of who invented the martini originally. I know… you’re asking why martinis on St. Patty’s Day?  Stay with us here.

Some say it was a bartender in Martinez, California, who had a gold miner come to his establishment and throw down a bag of gold nuggets in exchange for a bottle of whisky. After receiving his purchase, the miner then complained that his gold was worth more than the whisky. To compensate the miner, the bartender created a cocktail made of gin, vermouth, and an olive garnish. When asked what the drink was called, the bartender said, “A Martinez cocktail” which then may have evolved into the modern Martini.

Others argue that this exchange occurred at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, and that it was invented by famous bartender Jerry Thomas, and named in honor of a miner patron who was on his way home to Martinez. This recipe is recorded, however, and hardly resembles the martini of today; it uses sweet vermouth, bitters, maraschino, sweetened Old Tom gin and a cherry. Despite the fact that it is sweet and contains no olives, the use of maraschino cherries or cherry juice could have developed into using olives or olive juice. These liquid remnants of product – both juice and brine – are usually considered waste or “dirt” leftover from the cherries and olives. Hence the “dirty” martini.

Other origin stories occur overseas, and range from being named after a German musician – who changed his name to Martini to sound more Italian, which was the popular nationality for musicians at the time. His favorite drink was supposedly a mixture of gin and wine – to being named after the kick of a British Martini & Henry brand rifle. As Native San Franciscans, we prefer to believe that the drink originated in our own hometown.

Any way you look at it, the olive gets little attention in the cocktail news and around town.  Perhaps since you won’t find many olives at the farmers market and they can always be in season.  It is important to look to your olives as a key to a good martini (especially if you’re thinking dirty).

We were sent a bottle of Gaea Olives, a traditional, handpicked olive brand from Greece. We made up some martinis last night and they were delicious!  Remeber that to celebrate St. Patty’s day right, you don’t need to drink some artificial green beer, you just need to put a little green somethin green in your drink. Martinis count.