I was already a fan of a Martinez over a Martini and making it with Ransom Old Tom Gin is a real treat. The gin is an unusual (for gin) brown color and has slightly sweeter taste to it thanks to the added malt. I like it because it doesn’t taste like a bottle of Pine-Sol although now that I think of it, the brown color makes it look more like Pine-Sol.  The coloring comes from the gin resting in Pinot Noir barrels, which is supposed to replicate the journey across the Atlantic on ships in the old days.

In a Martinez, the Ransom blends perfectly with the thick sweetness of the sweet vermouth and the herbacious (as the BF likes to call it) bitterness of Boker’s Bitters. The drink is a delicate balance of sweet and medicinal, which makes it a relaxing sipping drink.