In the 1860s, Julio Martinez met a bartender in San Francisco who was experimenting with new cocktail recipes. The bartender mixed gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters, naming the cocktail after Martinez. The Martinez cocktail became popular in San Francisco but was forgotten during Prohibition. In the 1990s, bartenders revived the cocktail and experimented with different gin and vermouth combinations, settling on Old Tom gin and sweet vermouth with an orange twist garnish. Today, the Martinez is a beloved classic cocktail enjoyed worldwide.