I have a friend who orders a Gibson now and then, but I never thought until the other day to ask why a martini with an onion is called a Gibson. Well, I got the bar stool report. Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) was a very successful American artist and business man whose famous iconic images of beautiful women of the early 20
th century were called "Gibson Girls." His images made him famous and quite wealthy and he worked his way to editor, and later, owner, of
Life Magazine. The Gibson Martini is named for him. The story is that Gibson would attend business meetings that included the expected consumption of martinis. He wanted to maintain a sober business sense advantage so he arranged for the bartenders to fix him a "fake" martini with chilled water rather than gin. He requested his cohort bartenders place a cocktail onion in the drink for two reasons: the onion would cover up the lack of alcohol odor and also make it easily recognized and not confused with more potent,
olivey ones. Mr. Gibson owned an island off the coast of Maine, referred to as 700 acre island, where he escaped from New York City for the Summer. An artist that makes enough money to buy an island...how unusual and shrewd, this Mr. Gibson.
Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944)
I have a friend who orders a Gibson now and then, but I never thought until the other day to ask why a martini with an onion is called a Gibson. Well, I got the bar stool report. Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) was a very successful American artist and business man whose famous iconic images of beautiful women of the early 20th century were called "Gibson Girls." His images made him famous and quite wealthy and he worked his way to editor, and later, owner, of Life Magazine. The Gibson Martini is named for him. The story is that Gibson would attend business meetings that included the expected consumption of martinis. He wanted to maintain a sober business sense advantage so he arranged for the bartenders to fix him a "fake" martini with chilled water rather than gin. He requested his cohort bartenders place a cocktail onion in the drink for two reasons: the onion would cover up the lack of alcohol odor and also make it easily recognized and not confused with more potent, olivey ones. Mr. Gibson owned an island off the coast of Maine, referred to as 700 acre island, where he escaped from New York City for the Summer. An artist that makes enough money to buy an island...how unusual and shrewd, this Mr. Gibson.
Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944)
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