Gibson co*cktail Recipe (2024)

A simple and sleek Gibson co*cktail recipe made with just 2 ingredients, finished off with a beautiful co*cktail onion skewer—a standout drink at co*cktail hour.

The Gibson—co*cktail, Instrument or… Something Else?

When I hurriedly and excitedly ran into the kitchen to tell Erik that we were making Gibsons, his eyes immediately bulged, he jumped into the air (for air guitaring, obvs), and spoke of our long-awaited destiny/calling for making guitars. As I paused, then bulged mine own eyes, then summoned up the courage to dash his dreams of starting a luthier-duo woodshop, I realized I should have started by running into the kitchen and yelling, “It’s co*cktail Time!!!” instead of leading with the G-word.

So just in case I also dashed your dreams, allow my to apologize, and offer you a Gibson co*cktail apology. Anyone wants to make co*cktails today? 🙂

What’s in a Gibson co*cktail?

The Gibson drink recipe calls for two simple ingredients, a few fun co*cktail time tools, and your most-beautiful coupe glasses. To make a Gibson co*cktail, grab your favorite gin and dry vermouth. Then, add an onion skewer for high drama, aka, the signature piece that makes a Gibson, well, a Gibson.

The Fascinating, Supposed History of the Gibson co*cktail

Like with any good co*cktail, the Gibson drink has a murky history with no one quite sure of its origins. The earliest written recipe for a Gibson drink comes from The World’s Drinks and How to Mix Themby William T. “co*cktail” Boothby. On pg. 25, Boothby writes that the Gibson co*cktail is comprised of “half a jigger of French vermouth and half a jigger of dry English gin,” with no mention of the Gibson’s signature onion garnish whatsoever. Interestingly enough, he notes that “an olive is sometimes added.” But not an onion. [1]

So where did the onion garnish come from? In 1912, the Tacoma Times published an article in which a drink containing “a dry martini with an onion in it” was called “The Hanford co*cktail.” [2] So is the Gibson co*cktail actually the Hanford co*cktail?

Or, does the Gibson drink stand on its own, on account of one of the rumored persons with the same name to have created the co*cktail? Think of Walter D.K. Gibson, who, in 1898, is said to have added the onion to his martini due to the belief that onions could combat a cold. [3] According to Charles Pollock Gibson, a descendant of Walter D.K. Gibson, “W.D.K. Gibson objected to the way the bartender at the Bohemian made martinis. He preferred them stirred and made with Plymouth Gin. He also believed that eating onions would prevent colds. Hence the onion.”

In another account, Charles Dana Gibson, the artist who created the Gibson Girl pen-and-ink drawings, asked Charley Connolly, the Players Club bartender, to make a better version of the classic martini recipe [4]. Connolly responded by making a martini and garnishing it with an onion, rather than an olive.

So which Gibson truly created the Gibson co*cktail? You decide.

How to Make a Gibson co*cktail

The Gibson, known to some as a dry martini with an onion, is just as simple to make. To make a Gibson co*cktail, follow the steps below:

Fill a co*cktail glass or shaker with ice.

Add gin and vermouth.

Stir the gin and vermouth together.

Strain into a chilled glass, such as this coupe glass.

Garnish by dropping a few onions straight into the glass, or by adding a co*cktail skewer.

What If I Actually Want To Make a Dirty Gibson co*cktail Instead?

If you’re looking to make a Dirty Gibson co*cktail, you’d follow a recipe very similar to my Dirty Martini recipe. However, you’ll add onion brine instead of olive brine. To make a dirty Gibson, do the following:

Add these ingredients to mixing glass filled with ice and stir:

• 2 to 2.5 oz gin
• .5 oz dry vermouth
• .5 oz onion brine

Strain into a co*cktail glass.

Then, garnish by dropping a few co*cktail onions into the glass, or by adding an onion skewer.

Super Fun Drink Recipes to Make! 🥃

• Hot and Dirty Martini
• Salty Dog co*cktail Recipe
• Chocolate Espresso Martini
• Toasted Almond Drink

Tools You Need

• Coupe glasses
• Stirring spoon
• Mixing glass
• Measuring jigger
• co*cktail skewers

Stirred, Not Shaken

What a change of pace! Sometimes, one feels so effervescent getting to shake our way through co*cktail hour… other times, an elegant stir is all you need. 😉 Either way, I hope you love today’s Gibson drink recipe. When you make it, take a pic and share it on Instagram with @beamingbaker and #beamingbaker tags. I can’t wait to see it! ‘Til our next co*cktail adventure…

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

🍸📸 🍸

📸 Did you make this gibson drink recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸

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Gibson co*cktail Recipe

★★★★★5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Demeter | Beaming Baker
• Total Time: 2 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving 1x

Print Recipe

Description

A simple and sleek Gibson co*cktail recipe made with just 2 ingredients, finished off with a beautiful co*cktail onion skewer—a standout drink at co*cktail hour.

Ingredients

Scale

Tools Needed:

• Coupe glasses
• Mixing glass
• Stirring spoon
• Measuring jigger

Gibson co*cktail

• 2.5 oz gin
• .5 oz dry vermouth

Garnish

• co*cktail onions on a skewer

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Fill a mixing glass or co*cktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour gin and vermouth over ice.
3. Using a stirring spoon, stir until well mixed and chilled.
4. Strain into a coupe glass.
5. Garnish with a co*cktail onion skewer. Sip and enjoy.

Equipment

Coupe Glasses

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Measuring Jigger

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Gold co*cktail Shaker Set

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• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Drinks, co*cktails
• Method: Chill
• Cuisine: American

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