The Gibson, a cocktail crafted with gin and dry vermouth, is traditionally adorned with a pickled onion. Regarded as a variant of the classic martini, its distinctive feature lies in the onion garnish as opposed to the typical olive. The earliest versions of the Gibson, notably in the first recorded recipe by Sir David Austin in 1908, show a distinct approach, especially in the use of bitters.
In William Boothby’s 1908 recipe for the Gibson, the cocktail is presented without bitters, a departure from previous formulas. Unlike later iterations that feature an onion garnish, early recipes either used citrus twists or no garnish at all. The introduction of the onion garnish in Boothby’s recipe marks a notable evolution in the Gibson’s history.
The History of the Gibson Cocktail
The Gibson cocktail’s origin is enigmatic, with several intriguing theories. One popular story attributes its creation to Charles Dana Gibson, famed for his Gibson Girl illustrations. He reportedly challenged bartender Charley Connolly at New York City’s Players Club to enhance a classic gin martini. Connolly’s innovative response was to replace the olive with an onion, thus naming the drink after Gibson.
However, a more credible theory traces the Gibson’s roots to the 1890s at San Francisco’s Bohemian Club. In 1968, a relative of prominent businessman Walter D. K. Gibson claimed he invented the cocktail. This assertion is supported by Charles Clegg, who confirmed its San Francisco origin to columnist Herb Caen, and by Edward Townsend, former vice president of the Bohemian Club, who mentioned the Gibson in a 1898 essay for the New York World.
Other tales include an American diplomat in Europe during Prohibition who ordered a non-alcoholic martini with an onion garnish to distinguish it at cocktail events, and an investment banker named Gibson who similarly used a cocktail onion to mark his non-alcoholic drinks during business lunches, allowing him to stay sober while his clients drank.
Gibson Cocktail Ingredients
- Gin: 2 oz (60 ml)
- Dry Vermouth: 0.5 oz (15 ml)
- Cocktail Onion for garnish
- Ice Cubes
Gibson Cocktail Recipe
- Prepare Your Glass: Chill a martini glass in the freezer.
- Mix Ingredients: In a mixing glass, combine 2 oz (60 ml) gin and 0.5 oz (15 ml) dry vermouth.
- Stir: Add ice to the mixing glass and stir with a bar spoon for about 30 seconds.
- Strain: Strain the mixture into the chilled martini glass.
- Garnish: Garnish with a cocktail onion.
- Serve: Enjoy your Gibson Cocktail, a perfect mix of gin’s botanicals with a touch of dry vermouth, distinguished by the cocktail onion.
The Gibson Cocktail – Simply Delicious
The Gibson cocktail distinguishes itself by swapping the traditional olive or lemon twist garnish for a pickled onion. This savory addition lends its umami undertones to the classic blend of gin and dry vermouth, defining the Gibson’s unique flavor profile.
While the exact origins of the Gibson remain shrouded in mystery, some attribute its creation to Walter D.K. Gibson, a San Francisco businessman, possibly made at the Bohemian Club in the late 1800s.
The earliest documented appearance of the Gibson dates back to the 1908 book “The World’s Drinks And How To Mix Them” by William Boothby. Notably, the Gibson initially gained recognition for what it omitted—bitters. In contrast to the Martini’s traditional inclusion of orange bitters, the Gibson consciously eschewed this ingredient. It wasn’t until later years that the cocktail onion became inseparably linked with the drink.
