San Martin

Review:

Anisette sets this equal parts mix of gin, dry and sweet vermouths apart.

History:

Named after Don José de San Martín (1778–1850), the Argentine general celebrated as the "Libertador" of Argentina, Chile, and Peru, this cocktail emerged circa 1907 and is considered an Argentine interpretation of the Martini. Like the Martini, the San Martin morphed over the decades.

Early versions of the San Martin tend to be based on old tom gin and rosso vermouth, an example being the recipe in Benito Iglesias' 1911 book El Arte del Coctelero with drops of cherry brandy liqueur, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters.

San Martín cocktail
(En un vaso de refresco colóquese trozos de hielo cristalino.)

Adjúntese:
1 gotas licor Cherry Brandy.
1 gotas licor Maraschino de Zara.
1 gotas Orange Bitters.
1/3 vasito Old Tom Gin Sumner.
1/3 vasito vermouth Cinzano.

Mézclese suavemente y sírvase con una fruta de estación.

Benito Iglesias, El Arte del Coctelero, 1911

In his 1920s book Guía del coctelero, José Penedo, a bartender at the Majestic Hotel Rosario in Argentina, specifies ½ glass dry gin, ½ glass rosso vermouth, a dash of curaçao and a dash of orange bitters.

SAN MARTIN
Úsese vaso de composiciones y póngase:
Hielo.
Un chorro de curacao.
Un chorro de amargo naranja.
1/2 copa de Vermouth Torino.
1/2 copa de Dry Gin.
Revúlvase, cuélese y sírvase en copa, adornándola con un gajo mandarina.

José Penedo, Guía del coctelero, 1920s

However, in his 1922 book Cocktails:- How to Mix Them, Robert Vermeire's recipe calls for dry gin, rosso vermouth, "1 teaspoonful of Yellow Chartreuse" and "no Bitters of any description".

San Martin Cocktail
This well-known South American drink must be well shaken. It contain no Bitters of any description, but:

1/4 gill of Gin.
1/4 gill of Italian Vermouth.
1 teaspoonful of Yellow Chartreuse.

A little lemon-peel is squeezed on top.

Robert Vermeire, Cocktails - How to Mix Them, 1922

In his 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock misspells this cocktail's name, so creating the "Sand Martin", which has endured with books such as Stanley M. Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide including recipes for this as well as a "Sand Martin".

SAN MARTIIN
Cocktail Glass
Stir
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz anisette
1 dash bitters
Sugar glass rim

Note: Also see SAND MARTIN

Stanley M. Jones, Jones' Complete Barguide, 1977

Nutrition:

One serving of San Martin contains 138 calories