The Gibson is a Martini garnished with a pickled onion, but it’s also so much more than that. Sother Teague joins us for this exploration of the Gibson’s many charms, and of the dedicated fanbase this classic cocktail has earned over the years.
The Gibson began as a minor Martini variation, swapping the latter’s olive or lemon twist for a pickled onion garnish and a new name. But in the century-plus since the Gibson’s debut, it’s taken on an identity of its own. Amor y Amargo partner and Saucedpodcast co-host Sother Teague joins us for this episode to explore the Gibson’s many charms, and to discuss the dedicated fanbase the Gibson’s garnered over the years.
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Paul Clarke
Hey everybody, welcome back to Radio Imbibe from Imbibe Magazine. I'm Paul Clarke, Imbibe's Editor-in-Chief.
And earlier this year for the May-June issue of Imbibe, and on our website and here on the podcast, we spent a lot of time talking about that most classic of classic cocktails, the Martini. As part of that coverage and those conversations, we briefly touched upon an extremely close relative of the Martini, the Gibson. For those unfamiliar with the Gibson, here's what it is: it's basically a Martini, but without any bitters and with a pickled onion as garnish, in place of the Martini's familiar olive or lemon twist. Which doesn't sound like a big deal on the surface of things, but if you start talking to dedicated Martini drinkers, then you'll eventually see a pattern emerging that really does differentiate the Gibson from the standard Martini.
I started thinking about this a little more and wondered if I was missing some of the backstory somewhere, so I turned to that indispensable reference work that we have nowadays, the Oxford Companion of Spirits and Cocktails, edited by David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum. And if you turn to the Gibson listing of that work, you'll see that the backstory is really pretty straightforward. It's a Martini, without bitters, that eventually took on the pickled onion as a garnish and its distinguishing factor. It was introduced in 1898 at the Bohemian Club in San Francisco and named either for illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, creator of the Gibson Girl drawings, or socialite Walder D. K. Gibson, and these were both members of the Bohemian Club.
So really, if we're talking about a familiar classic cocktail that's taking on a new identity based almost entirely on its use of garnish, and that this minor variation has developed a deeply loyal fan base, then there's clearly something worthy of further exploration. And that's what we're going to do with this episode. And joining me for this Gibson adventure is my good friend Sother Teague. Sother, of course, is a partner at Amor y Amargo in New York City and the host of the Speakeasy podcast and author of I'm Just Here For The Drinks, and he's also a dedicated Gibson devotee. So come on along on our little Gibson voyage as we talk about gin, pickled onions, and everything in between.
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Paul Clarke
Sother, welcome to Radio Imbibe.
Sother Teague
Hey, Paul. Glad to be here.
Paul Clarke
Absolutely. I'm glad to have you back on the podcast for a number of reasons. First off, it's always wonderful to talk to you about anything over the years. But also, we wanted to explore a cocktail that I know is very near and dear to your heart, and it's also a favorite of mine, and that is the Gibson.
Sother Teague
Yes.
Paul Clarke
And, you know, earlier this year, we covered the Martini, both in the magazine and online and as part of our podcast, and kind of looked at the Martini from a number of different angles. We didn't really talk about the Gibson all that much during that conversation.
Sother Teague
I think that's a failure, Paul.
Paul Clarke
I know! Well, here we are. This is kind of making up for that, because I flagged it for myself at the time. We need to talk about the Gibson. And so I wanted to explore that a little bit with you at this point. And before we do that, could you just say, why the Gibson? For you personally, why is the Gibson, why does it have this kind of appeal to you?
Sother Teague
You know, I'm not exactly 100% sure. And also, it took me a long time to come to the realization that the Gibson is among my favorite cocktails, which is shocking because years ago, my partner, Natalie, who does all the artwork for Amor y Amargo and the cover of my book, etc. She designed a logo for me. Creative Drunk is my handle, you know, so it had the big C and the big D. And in between the two was a coupe glass that clearly had an onion on a pick. And I was like, why did you choose the Gibson? And she goes, well, that's what I see you drinking the most. And I thought, how does an observer recognize that my favorite, what my favorite drink is more than I recognize it? But what draws me to it, I think, is bracing crispness, malleability of like proof based on how wet or dry you make it. And then this savory tart finishing note, which for me is very much like a palate cleanser. You know, an olive in a martini is also delightful and it's quite savory, but it's not really cleansing. You know, now you've got sort of like, you know, if you eat an olive, you're eating some olive oil. Now you've got an oily coating in your mouth. I really enjoy the crisp brininess of that onion to finish the experience of having this cocktail.
Paul Clarke
Right. And at a certain point, you know, the obvious question when you first start talking about a Gibson is, so is this really just a martini with an onion? Before we did this call, I, you know, dug out my copy of the Oxford Companion just to refresh my memory on the Gibson. And yes, it's pretty much just a martini with an onion. No bitters. That was the distinguishing factor
Sother Teague
Mm-hmm.
Paul Clarke
early on. No orange bitters in there.
Sother Teague
I was about to say.
Paul Clarke
Toss an onion in there and then you're ready to roll. What is it about this drink that makes it deserving of a new name, however? You know, like if you think about a Daiquiri, you throw some maraschino liqueur and some grapefruit juice in there, you still call it a daiquiri. You just throw a number on it or something, or like you still use the Daiquiri moniker. What is it about this simple swapping out of the garnish that makes the Gibson so deserving of its own kind of identity?
Sother Teague
Well, I think, you know, I don't know, deserving is the right word, but I think that, uh, you know, first we can identify that the Gibson is the only one that I can think of, the only cocktail that I can think of that really gets a name change based simply on the garnish.
Paul Clarke
Mm-hmm.
Sother Teague
We don't call it a twist instead of a martini with a twist. We don't call it a, an olive instead of a martini with an olive. Uh, we don't, we don't even call this one the onion. We call it the Gibson. And there's a couple of historical potentials of where that name came from. Um, I think the one that's most popular is, uh, there was an artist who, who painted what were called the Gibson girls. And I guess the Gibson girls drank martinis with onions. And so that's the more sort of famous one, you know, so I don't know about whether it deserves its own space, but it has one and it does make a change. I think the, the lack of bitters in a Gibson changes the profile of the drink, no matter the wetness that you make the thing. You know, Robert Simonson, I think famously said, uh, martinis are made of vermouth, gin and lots of opinions. Uh, so I think, uh, you know, I think it does deserve its own thing because this is what language is all about. It's how to, uh, say what you want, get your message across, you know, without having to muddy the waters with too many words.
Paul Clarke
Right. Right. And then, you know, one of the things I was thinking about with the Gibson as well. So if I walk into my, you know, my, my corner bar and ask for a martini, the first question that's going to come out of the bartender's mouth is gin or vodka. But if you ask for a Gibson, do you, do you still pose that question? Gin or vodka? Or, or is, or is the Gibson still solely the province of a gin cocktail?
Sother Teague
You know, I think that's a great question, Paul. I don't think I've ever had anyone request a Gibson from me as a bartender for over 25 years with vodka. I think the Gibson is relegated to gin. Yeah. I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to go all in. Uh, the Gibson is gin.
Paul Clarke
So maybe, I mean, as an extension of that, maybe the Gibson has become kind of that safe space for gin drinkers, you know, or it's like, I don't want to even want to think about the vodka question. Don't ask me about the vodka question. So I'm not going to order a martini. I'll ask for a Gibson and then he knows what I want.
Sother Teague
Yeah. And, and, you know, going the other way in the river, I think, um, I've never asked for a Gibson and had the bartender reply back vodka or gin. When you say Gibson, they know what you're
Paul Clarke
I wonder if that's part of, you know, we talked about, does the Gibson deserve its own name and maybe deserve is a strong word, but as a Gibson drinker, the bartender recognizes what you want and what you're looking for.
Sother Teague
Yeah. Game recognized game in this, in this.
Paul Clarke
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Like there's a certain subset of, of martini drinkers who were Gibson drinkers. And if you ask for a Gibson, then there's, there's that pattern of recognition.
Sother Teague
Yeah. I think that, you know, I don't want to like out myself here, but I think that that subset of people is like people who either are, which I currently am, I guess, or have always, which I also did drink like an old man, you know?
Paul Clarke
Regardless of age, regardless of gender, there, there, there, there are old man drinks and the Gibson is one of those.
Sother Teague
Yeah. Like this is the kind of drink that you get when you go to a bar, uh, where, you know, it's just older people and they're sitting one stool apart. No one's together. And they're like,
Paul Clarke
you know what sounds really good after a glass of cold, dry gin—an onion.
Sother Teague
That's right.
Paul Clarke
I have found in my own personal research and you, and you talked about this earlier, and I want to circle back to it in my own personal research and testing in my own kitchen. And when I have Gibsons out in the wild that really the Gibson, I like it from the dryer approach, a greater proportion of gin to vermouth. Whereas, you know, with martinis, I can go all over the map. I'll do equal parts. I'll do, you know, two to ones, what, what have you. But I tend to like that four to one, five to one ratio more with a Gibson. Is that your own experience? Is that borne out by your own experience? And why, why might that be?
Sother Teague
Yeah, a hundred percent. I think I prefer my, you know, if I'm just drinking martinis as a session, I'm going to do honestly a 50, 50. I like it really wet that way I know I can, you know, keep, keep my wits about me and have a few cocktails with friends or what have you. If I'm sitting down for a Gibson, which I do every Sunday, I call it Gib-Sunday with a group of friends. We all get together every Sunday and have Gibsons. I'm going five to one because frankly, I'm probably only going to have two. So really dry, no bitters at all. What I like to do is put, you know, a scant bar spoon of the brine from whatever the onions are into the, into the mixing glass. You got to give it an extra long stir because we want to get it as cold as possible because it's not going to get any colder in the glass as, as with any martini. And then garnish with that, that pickled onion. So yeah, I like it to be more bracing. And why? I think, you know, vermouth is wine and I don't, I don't think I can, in my right mind, pair, you know, wine with pickled onions. But gin, bracing, botanical, lots of flavors going on in there. In fact, sometimes some of the similar ingredients that go into pickling are in the gin itself. So the gin seems to be more attuned to the, to the garnish, right?
Paul Clarke
Right, right.
Sother Teague
So I want it to be a little more gin heavy than, than, than vermouth slash wine heavy.
Paul Clarke
Right, right. And you touched on a couple of things there I want to circle back to. First off, Gib-Sundays, that's brilliant. When did you start doing this and how did the Gibson become the, the focal point?
Sother Teague
Well, we were gathering at a bar every Sunday pre-pandemic, uh, and, you know, I would, uh, you might recall even on my social media, I would say, I would hashtag church, right, because it was Sunday. It was my day off. It was a bar. I like to go there. We went. When the pandemic came, we couldn't go for a while. Uh, the same group of people, we've been going for, you know, eight or nine years together now. and then, um, we still gather on Sundays, but after the pandemic, we realized it wasn't necessarily church. And we, and we didn't, again, we didn't really realize prior that we were always drinking Gibsons. Probably at my, you know, I was leading the charge. We'd go, we'd have a beer, maybe a cocktail and then sort of finish out with a Gibson or two. So, uh, we decided, uh, it's not really church. It's Gib-Sunday. So that's, that's been the hashtag since the pandemic.
Paul Clarke
You're talking about the wine and the vermouth aspect. And, and I have to ask this because as you venture out in the world today and you order your martinis and your martini variations, increasingly, a lot of times you might see some blanc vermouth coming into the equation. And I'm not going to argue with that because I like blanc vermouth, and I like to see it in, in martini interpretations. Does blanc vermouth or does that kind of residual sugar of, of any kind belong in a Gibson or is Gibson strictly kind of a dry environment?
Sother Teague
Uh, well, I'm, you know, I'm not going to yuck anybody's yum. I hate that phrase, but it works. If that's what you like, then that's what you like. Uh, so go for it. I prefer it dry, right? So I'm going to use a sort of a French dry vermouth like, uh, Noily Prat or, or Dolin. The blanc vermouth does bring some sugar and that's okay too, because, you know, pickling isn't just vinegar. Uh, it involves salt and sugar, right? So if your onion has, has a balanced pickle in there, there's some sugar in there too. So that, that, that, that rounder, sweeter aspect of blanc vermouth can tie into the onion. And in fact, uh, even though I kind of just poo-pooed the notion of, of onions and wine, uh, there's a brand of onions out there called tipsy and they are onions that are pickled with some vermouth. Um, so that kind of lends them towards the Gibson. Um, and then going further, my favorite garnish for a Gibson is what are called Rakkyo. R-A-K-K-Y-O. And Rakkyo are the Japanese pickled scallion heads. So picture your, your scallion, but they're a little bit larger, uh, just the head, the white part. And they pickle those and they do have, uh, both an umami quality. I'm sure there's MSG in the, in the pickling, um, as well as a sweet quality. So you get this crunch, um, this briny tartness, um, some definite umami for you're eating an onion. Uh, and then of course, uh, there's a little sweetness on the finish as well. So, you know, that's the, I mean, that's the whole game we're in, right? That's, that's, that's mixology in a different way. That's just balance.
Paul Clarke
Right, right. Exactly. And I want to come back to that onion question in just a moment. But before we do, I just want to throw out there, we're talking about, you know, the dryness quality of the wine. I think, fino sherry or Manzanilla sherry is, is, is fine in, in this kind of application. It has that kind of dryness to it that, that, that fits.
Sother Teague
For sure.
Paul Clarke
With what you're looking for, as well as like a Manzanilla has that subtle touch of salinity that, that kind of rounds it out as So I don't want to ignore the sherry, the people who love to have sherry in their martinis or their Gibsons. I think that plays a role.
Sother Teague
Yeah, a hundred percent. I don't think it comes into play for me very often, but I'm again, not against it at all. And, you know, we, we, we, we traipse around on Gib-Sundays. We, we, we used to have a home base, but now we, we move from bar to bar and, you know, the different bartenders have their different interpretations. They can all be quite satisfying. And again, there's no, like I said before, you know, quoting Robert Simonson, um, vermouth, gin and opinions. There's lots of opinions on how to make a martini.
Paul Clarke
Yeah. On the, back to that onion point. Uh, and you mentioned one of your favorites with, with these pickled scallions, the onion really kind of comes in a factor where if you're thinking this is the distinguishing characteristic, then the onion needs to matter in some way. I mean, yes, you can go to your local grocery store and pick up, you know, the pickled onions, uh, off the, off the shelf, which I have done and always been disappointed whenever I've done that. uh, really you need to kind of pay attention. If this is going to be that significant part of the equation, then how much attention and what other options do we have for that onion part?
Sother Teague
Yeah. I mean, I've got some brands that I love tipsy. I just mentioned they're, they're finished with a little bit of a vermouth. Um, they're quite good. Um, filthy makes a great, uh, onion. Um, cause they're again, nice and crisp. I think the ones you buy at the grocery store generally are going to be a little smaller than you want. And also quite sort of mushy, right? They're not really crisp anymore. Um, they may have the briny quality, but they're not very crisp. Um, as, and again, the Rakkyo is kind of on the leaderboard for me, as far as things you can buy. I do love, love, love to go to a bar that's making their own onions. Cause that shows me that they care about this drink enough to go that extra step and create something of their own. You know, Megan Dorman is pretty well known here in New York for having delicious Gibson onions at all of her spots. Cause she's a big fan of the cocktail as well. And that's another thing, right? To that end, Paul, when I walk into a bar that I may have never been to, and I've, if I'm feeling like I want a Gibson, first of all, take a step back. You have to, as the consumer and me as the consumer in this scenario, you have to examine your environment before you order anything. Right. Um, you know, you can't just walk into any bar and expect to get any drink you want. Right. Um, so first I look around and I see, is this a place that's making cocktails? You know, do I see jiggers? Do I see them using them? Um, do I see the vermouth, uh, on the back bar with a, with a speed pour in it and a layer of dust on it? You know, um, these are, these are factors that are going to either push me towards or not towards, but when it comes to this specific cocktail, if I walk into a bar that I've not been to and I want one, I'll lean over and I'll just say to the bartender, do you honestly have a good onion for a Gibson? And if they say yes, I'm in. Uh, and sometimes I'm disappointed because maybe what they think's a good onion and what I think's a good onion don't match, but by and large. If they say no, then I, I move on and I order something else.
Paul Clarke
Right, right. And I think one of those things about the onion is, like you said, it is so easy to do it yourself. Uh, if it comes down to it, I know that we have run a recipe, I believe it's on our website at imbibemagazine.com for pickled onions from pretty decent, a bar in Louisville, Kentucky. They use them for their El Gibson. That's Spanish for the Gibson. and, uh, he, he makes it using mezcal and blanc vermouth and a little bit of the brine from this pickled onion. So it's super easy. I've done it myself at home and you can find all kinds of recipes and you can also kind of improvise yourself based on the different kinds of seasonings you put on the brine for whatever your personal favorite might be on that note, you know, on making your own onions, we should emphasize that, that size matters. You said, you know, some of the ones you get from the supermarket are too tiny, but there is also the other end of the spectrum.
Sother Teague
You can go the other way. Yeah.
Paul Clarke
Years ago, I was at a bar in San Diego and I ordered a Gibson, it was on their menu and they said, we do our own house pickled onions. I thought, fantastic. And the bartender came over and said, you're getting the very last onion in the batch. And he put it on one of those bamboo cocktail picks and kind of straddled across the top of the glass. And that bamboo pick was swaying with the responsibility and burden of this giant cocktail onion.
Sother Teague
Sure. It looks like an avocado pit.
Paul Clarke
It was displacing liquid in the glass. It was such a large onion.
Sother Teague
Yeah, that's a problem too. And I think that, you know, generally, again, if someone is running a bar that is going to take the time to pickle their own onions, they are paying attention to that drink itself. So, you know, they're trying their own wares, they're going to make themselves a Gibson and try that onion. And yeah, sometimes we'll get one that's a little too big. And what that does is the outer layers are a little soft. The inner layers are still kind of raw. You can't comfortably, you know, take it in one bite. And it's kind of, you know, because onions are layered, it's difficult to take bites out of an onion. Yeah, that's, I've definitely run into that a few times. And it also seems oddly that they're always the, not the white pearl onions, but the red pearl onions that typically, I guess they just come a little larger on, you know, everything sold by a market size that works for the seller. So I think maybe they just come a little bit larger. So that's certainly something to watch out for as well.
Paul Clarke
Right. It's almost like, you know, we almost have to think about it like an oyster. You know, if it's more than one bite, then it's...
Sother Teague
You've been out with me eating oysters. You know, I disagree. I love oysters. It's a little bit better for me.
Paul Clarke
Before we move off the onion, we need to talk about that brine component, because you mentioned that as part of the equation. I mean, not only is it, you know, in the, you know, whatever residual brine with the onion, but the brine can also be a tool if you want something like, I hate to say dirty, but a little dirty, where you put some of the brine into the drink
Sother Teague
Listen, we're not far off the dirty map here, right? With the re-explosion in popularity of the martini in general, and especially the savory slash dirty martini, you know, this seems like it would be quite in line with the trends that are going on, and maybe that's why you're hosting this episode. So yeah, for me, again, it's five to one, so that's two and a half ounces of gin to a half an ounce of dry vermouth. And also, I want to make sure that's a pretty bracing gin. You know, I've been reaching for Hayman's lately. It's 47% ABV. And then just a scant bar spoon of the brine going right into the mixing glass. That's going to bring that little added nuance of dimension where the bitters are missing, because, which also, I'm here to admit that I'm aware that people don't put bitters in their martini, which is a mistake, but they already are missing the thing that they don't even know they're missing. So, like, I get that I'm trying to re-engineer something for people, but there's a nuance that's missing from the Gibson, where the bitters were, and there's not enough cling to the onion itself of that brine, so that when the onion goes into your glass at the finish, that that's going to make up for it. So just a, not quite a full bar spoon, but, you know, maybe three quarters of a bar spoon of brine right into the mixing glass when I'm spinning.
Paul Clarke
Right, and you touched on one thing that I wanted to come back to, and that is the gin itself. Are we strictly talking classic London dry style, or something classic like Plymouth, or is this a place where there's room to roam with, you know, new Western gins, modern gins, and things of that nature?
Sother Teague
As a gin lover, I think that there's no real wrong answer on the style of gin. I don't think I would reach for gins that are too floral. I don't think I would reach for gins that are too fruity, that have botanicals in there that aren't, you know, pretty much straight citrus. Like, I wouldn't reach for Hendricks. Hendricks is too floral with the rose. I don't think rose and pickled onions are going to match in my mind, but that's me, again. The listener can do as they please. But I would certainly reach for London dry first. Second to that, certainly Plymouth is on the list for me. I don't think I would reach for an Old Tom. Again, that sweetness might be overbearing. But again, there is some sweetness in the brine and in the wine. So as long as you can find balance. Again, I'm thinking about my ratio, five to one, where those things might fit in. But I think for me, first reach is going to be London dry.
Paul Clarke
Right, right. And that kind of savory quality in a gin is really what we're looking for. The thing that the juniper and that the angelica and that the coriander may bring to the equation that really kind of fits in with that overall profile.
Sother Teague
Yeah, and the citrus notes that are in the gin inherently, that way we can eschew the notion of a twist in this regard.
Paul Clarke
Right, fantastic. We are heading toward final call here. Any final thoughts on the Gibson or Gibson-related philosophy you'd like to share with us?
Sother Teague
I mean, I think I would just like to see it get a little bit more of the light that it deserves, especially as we are in this kind of almost arms race to make the most savory martinis. You know, you've got like people out there like spirited LA on Instagram, who's making martinis using ranch dressing or what, you know, whatever, which are, you know, certainly probably clickbaity or whatever, but she does taste them. And then she speaks about them and talks about how they react. But again, I think that the simplicity, yet still power packed flavor of a Gibson is something that's been overlooked. And I think that it deserves the attention that hopefully it's getting right now by being on the show.
Paul Clarke
So, yeah, fantastic. Sother, thanks so much for being back on the podcast and for talking about the Gibson with us. And I look forward to hoisting one with you very soon, hopefully.
Sother Teague
Yeah. Do you mind if I plug myself a little bit?
Paul Clarke
Yeah, absolutely. Please do.
Sother Teague
I'd love to have anyone follow me, follow along with my antics. I'm creative drunk on all platforms and I do all my own social media and I answer all my DMs and stuff like that. But also coming up soon, later this month, I will be launching a Kickstarter for my new podcast called Sauced. And on Sauced, as a former chef, we'll be breaking down recipes of food, just like we broke down this cocktail that involve booze. And then we'll talk about what cocktail we would drink with this food that's made with booze. to be called Sauced and it's going to launch in January. The Kickstarter will launch actually next week.
Paul Clarke
Fantastic. So we'll keep an eye out for that. And this is amazing. I look forward to that.
Sother Teague
Yeah, man. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Paul Clarke 21:55
Cheers. Well, thanks for being on the podcast.
Sother Teague
Always a pleasure, Paul. Call me anytime.
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Paul Clarke
You can find Sother Teague on Instagram at Creative Drunk. And Sother mentioned his new podcast, Sauced, that'll debut in January. They're raising funds now on Kickstarter and we've got a link with that info in this episode's notes.
And that's it for this episode. Subscribe to Radio Imbibe on your favorite podcast app to keep up with all our future episodes. We've got tons of recipes and articles for you online on our website, imbibemagazine.com. Keep up with us day to day on Instagram, Pinterest, threads, and Facebook. And if you're not already a subscriber to the print and or digital issues of Imbibe, then here's the perfect opportunity to change that. Just follow the link in this episode's notes and we'll be happy to help you out. I'm Paul Clarke. This is Radio Imbibe. Catch you next time.