The first dry martini is sometimes linked to the name of a bartender who concocted the drink at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in 1911 or 1912.

When did martinis become popular?

Apparently in the interest of brevity, the drink became known as the “Martini.” The popularity of the Martini never seems to wane, and it was particularly de rigeur during the 1950s and 1960s, when the “three martini lunch” was a widespread practice for cosmopolitan executives and businesspeople.

Who invented the first martini?

A couple theories point to late-1880s California during the gold rush, when a bartender named Jerry Thomas, living in the town of Martinez, whipped up a sloe gin and sweet vermouth cocktail with bitters for miners who wanted to celebrate striking gold.