You Say Martini, We Say Martinez! Bar Louie Celebrates National Martini Day Throughout June

ADDISON, Texas, June 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thinking of martinis conjures images from James Bond to Mad Men. But as National Martini Day approaches on June 19, Bar Louie is going back to the deeper roots of the ubiquitously famous "king of cocktails". Setting the record straight and offering patrons an opportunity to taste the history firsthand, Bar Louie partnered with spirits expert and master mixologist, Dale DeGroff, to develop three modern adaptations of historic martini recipes spanning the decades from the drink's inception in the late 1800s. The Martinez, The Knickerbocker and Dale's Second Chance are available at Bar Louie locations throughout the month of June. These and all other martinis will be available for $5.25 all day during Bar Louie's celebration of the holiday on Thursday, June 16, and throughout the month during happy hour at most locations.

"National Martini Day celebrates the clear gin based cocktail icons that have permeated culture over the last 130 years," said spirits expert, Dale DeGroff. "But most people have no idea about the trends and variations leading to the martinis recognized in modern times."

In the 1800s, cocktails called martinis looked nothing like what we recognize today. They were five-ingredient sweet drinks with curacao and maraschino, more akin to the fruitful options currently popular on Bar Louie's 18-drink martini menu. Then, in 1884, O.H. Byron's Modern Bartender's Guide footnoted a variation on the Manhattan known as The Martinez that paired equal parts gin and vermouth, setting the cornerstone for martini history.

In 1911, the head barman at New York City's Knickerbocker hotel, Martini Di Arma Di Taggia, swapped dry vermouth instead of sweet, leading to a clear drink that today's fans might recognize, but with drastically different spirits proportions and no olives in sight. Prohibition's poor gin quality took the martini off the map, but after the second World War, the cocktail returned to notoriety, and cultural influences like The Thin Man movies and its lead characters, Nick and Nora Charles, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—and of course, James Bond, became its ad hoc spokespeople.

As Americans got "wetter," the martini got "dryer," with drinks that had been made of half vermouth evolving gradually toward what is now a more common ratio of one part vermouth to 11 parts gin. And, the rising popularity of vodka in the United States has made today's "vodkatini" fans often unaware that to stalwarts of authenticity, the inclusion of vodka means it isn't a martini at all.

Visit Bar Louie this June to taste the history firsthand with its historic martini menu, offered for a limited-time, in addition to its signature menu of 32 cocktails made from the highest quality ingredients, fresh fruit and hand-squeezed juices. The month long National Martini Day celebration features happy hour and late night specials, including the introduction of shooter-sized samples of Bar Louie's five most popular martinis, available during late night hours for only $3.  The regular bar menu includes domestic and imported beers, microbrews and 20 wines by the glass. Distinctly prepared menu items such as appetizers, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, burgers and entrees are available all night until closing. For more information, visit www.barlouie.com.

Media Contact: Clark Nesselrodt, for Bar Louie,
[email protected]

SOURCE Bar Louie

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