Before the martini (or so the story goes), there was the Martinez, a derivation of the original vermouth cocktail that made use of the Old Tom Gin popular in the 1800s. San Francisco is often credited with its birth, and while this point is certainly up for debate, there can be no doubt that the height of the drink's popularity coincided with the City by the Bay's golden era in the Gilded Age.
When the rails of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific were joined at Promontory Point, Utah, in the Spring of 1869, the dreams of many men were realized. Four such men were the Central Pacific’s “Big Four,” C. P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins and Leland Stanford. All resided in the most elegant, lavish and exquisite mansions, surrounding the present location of the Big 4 Restaurant at The Scarlet Huntington.
The famous Big Four held center stage in San Francisco for more than a third of a century. The Big 4 Restaurant recaptures the era when these men reigned supreme over all of San Francisco. (history taken from the Big Four website)
Spot:
THE BIG 4 RESTAURANT
(415) 771-1140
1075 California St., San Francisco
(415) 771-1140
1075 California St., San Francisco
Cocktail:
- Sweet Vermouth
- Maraschino Liqueur
- Orange Bitters
