National Martini Day in USA

Like most classic cocktails, the Martini has murky origins. No one knows where the Martini really comes from. Some claim it was invented in a bar in Martinez, California. Others suggest its name can be traced to the Italian vermouth brand; still others trace it back to bartenders in New York or San Francisco.

By one widely accepted account, the martini is a descendant of the Martinez, an older, sweeter, but similar cocktail, which consists of (approximately) two ounces of sweet vermouth, one ounce gin (specifically, Old Tom gin, a sweetened variant), two dashes maraschino cherry liquid, and one dash bitters, shaken with ice, strained, and served with a twist of lemon.