It may be hard to believe, but the martini of yore wasn’t always the dry and bracing martini that we know today. In fact, pre prohibition, martinis were in fact “wetter” and had rather more vermouth in it. Like any classic cocktail, it’s hard to trace the exact origin of this particular cocktail, but certainly, it appeared in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktails book and does exactly what it says on the tin - equal parts gin and vermouth with a dash of orange bitters. And with the trend these days of low alcoholic cocktails, this combination means you can have your martini and drink it too.

Like any good relationship, the success of the fifty fifty martini relies on its two partners complementing each other in equal measures. It’s a simple enough formula, but pair a spicy gin with a subtle vermouth, and the latter gets lost. Craddock’s book calls for it to be shaken but honestly, we just stirred ours.

How to make a Fifty Fifty Martini

Ingredients

• 60ml gin, we used Beefeater Gin

• 60ml vermouth, we used Martini Riserva Ambrato

• Few drops of bergamot bitters

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.

• Stir for a good minute

• Strain into a chilled martini glass.