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Recipes
September 2015

The Gibson

By Jim Kearns, The Happiest Hour, NYPhotography by Alex Lau

5.0

(2)

Image may contain Drink Cocktail Alcohol Beverage and Martini
Alex Lau

Go to the trouble of getting all the vinegars for this drinkable brine; you can continue to add onions to it over time, and it just gets better.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

Pickled Onions

½

cup apple cider vinegar

¼

cup red wine vinegar

¼

cup unseasoned rice vinegar

¼

cup white wine vinegar

¼

cup sugar

4

teaspoons kosher salt

1

tablespoon black peppercorns

1

tablespoon coriander seeds

1

tablespoon juniper berries

⅛

teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1

garlic clove, halved

1

bay leaf

1

pound small pearl onions, peeled, trimmed

Martini

8

ounces gin (preferably Beefeater)

2

ounces blanc vermouth (preferably Dolin)

2

ounces dry vermouth (preferably Dolin)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Pickled Onions

    Step 1

    Whisk apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, coriander seeds, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, garlic, bay leaf, and 1¼ cups water in a medium bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour brine into an airtight nonreactive container and add onions. Cover and chill at least 1 week. Flavors will deepen the longer the onions sit; the liquid starts getting really delicious after 1 month.

    Step 2

    Do Ahead: Pickled onions can be made 3 months ahead. Keep chilled.

  2. Martini

    Step 3

    For each cocktail, pour 2 oz. gin, ½ oz. blanc vermouth, ½ oz. dry vermouth, and ¼ oz. onion pickling liquid over 4 cups ice in a large measuring or stirring glass and stir 1 minute. (Yes, a full minute. This dilution is key to rounding out the flavors of the finished drink.) Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a pickled onion.

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