Go Back
Smokey Martini in a Martini glass.

Smokey Martini

Print Recipe
What happens when you make a Gin Martini and replace the Sweet Vermouth with Scotch Whiskey? Well, you get a Smokey Martini! Because the classic Gin Martini is so basic (but good!), people have been riffing on it for as long as it's existed. This has created a number of Martini variations, and the Smokey Martini is just one of them.
Like so much to do with the Martini, there's no clear answer on who decided to first mix Gin and Scotch. The recipe here is credited to bartended Dale DeGroff, who claims to have been mixing the Smokey Martini since the 1970's. While this recipe dates back to then, even DeGroff doesn't claim to be the first to try to make this concoction. Maybe he was the first to get the ratios right though.
But that's often the case when it comes to simpler cocktails. The Smokey Martini only has two ingredients, and it wouldn't be surprising if somebody who was short on booze decided to see what Gin and Scotch tasted like. But crafting cocktails is more than that, it's about balance. And this cocktail gets it just right.
Total Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 75 mL Gin Try a London Dry
  • 10 mL Blended Scotch Whiskey or a Scotch Whiskey of your choosing

Instructions

  • Pour Gin and Scotch into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until it's cold.
  • Strain into a Martini Glass.
  • Garnish with a citrus peel if you like.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

As with so many simple cocktails, there's not much to hide behind here, so choose a Gin and a Scotch that are good. If you use cheap ingredients, your cocktail won't taste any good. Basically, if you wouldn't be happy drinking either the Scotch or Gin neat, you won't be happy with this cocktail either.
Another great thing about this cocktail recipe is that it's easy to add to your home bar menu. Part of the reason why we created our cocktail builder website is so that it was easy to find what cocktails we could make at home with what ingredients we had. While it's fun to try and expand your bar, it's also fun to try and figure out just how many different cocktail you can make with the fewest ingredients. And the Smokey Martini really helps with things like that!