Dry, wet, dirty – we haven’t met a martini we don’t like. One of our favourites is the Gibson. an intriguing combination of gin, vermouth and a pickled onion (or two). But where does that signature pickled garnish come into play? Turns out it’s a little risqué…

The Gibson Martini, like most classic cocktails, has a myriad of origin stories, however the most colourful was that it was named after the New York socialites the Gibson Girls, made famous by a risqué series of pen and ink drawings by Charles Dana Gibson in the early 1900’s.

It was risqué because the two cocktail onions adorning the drink were supposedly representative of the ample cleavage of the illustrated glamour models.

Regardless of its heritage, the Gibson cocktail has seen a resurgence thanks to spirited purveyors who appreciate the slightly savoury flavours the martini tends to generate.