Martini
Vermouth is said to be a variation on the German word wermut, meaning wormwood, which was used in Europe as early as the 17th century to flavour fortified wines. It was also originally considered a medicine, but later became an aperitif and then a mixer. Italian and French vermouths were considered fashionable in the 1800s.
Italian brewer Antonio Benedetto Carpano is often credited with creating the modern aperitif version of vermouth, distilled from white wine, in 1786.
French herbalist Joseph Noilly created the recipe for the famous dry vermouth later named Noilly Prat in 1855. While in 1863 an Italian brewer renamed its brand of vermouth, Martini, after the director of the company Alessandro Martini.
Ian Fleming’s hero spy James Bond, who made his debut in the 1953 novel Casino Royale, often ordered vodka martinis, possibly because he had spent a lot of time mixing it up with Russian spies. In many books he also orders gin martinis, but his preference is “shaken not stirred”, in other words mixed in a cocktail shaker with ice.
