Marguerite

History

Not to be confused with the much later, tequila-based Margarita, the Marguerite is a gin-based forerunner to the modern-day Dry Martini.

The earliest known Marguerite Cocktail recipe appears in the 1898 book Cocktails... How To Make Them where it tellingly precedes recipes for "Martini Cocktail – No. 1" and "Martini Cocktail – No. 2".

Marguerite Cocktail.
Bitters
Plymouth Gin
French Vermouth
HALF a mixing-glass full of fine ice, three dashes of orange bitters, one-half jigger of Plymouth gin, one-half jigger of French Vermouth. Mix, strain into cocktail-glass. Place an olive in the bottom of glass and serve.

How To Make Them, 1898

The Marguerite then notably appears with anisette added to the recipe in Harry Johnson's 1900 New and Improved Bartenders' Manual.

MARGUERITE COCKTAIL
(Use a large bar glass)
Fill glass 3/4 full of fine-shaved ice;
2 or 3 dashes of orange bitters;
2 or 3 dashes of anisette;
1/2 wine glass of French vermouth;
1/2 wine glass of Plymouth gin;
Stir up well with a spoon, strain into a cocktail glass, putting in a cherry, squeeze piece of lemon peel on top and serve.

Harry Johnson, 1900

Then, in his 1903 Bartenders Encyclopedia, Tim Daly omits the anisette in his recipe for the Marguerite.

MARGUERITE COCKTAIL
Use a mixing glass.
Half fill with fine ice.
2 dashes of orange bitters.
1 dash of orange curacoa.
½ wine glass of French vermouth.
½ wine glass of Plymouth gin.
Stir well with spoon, strain into a cocktail glass, twist a piece of lemon peel on top, and serve.

Tim Daly, 1903

The Marguerite, then turns drier and by the 1904 Stuart's Fancy Drinks, in a section headed "New And Up-To-Date Drinks" it becomes 2/3 Plymouth gin [a dry gin] to 1/3 French [dry] vermouth with a dash of orange bitters. Basically a modern-day 2:1 Dry Martini.