Well, maybe a good Gibson isn’t the only thing that makes winter wonderful (I mean, there’s also hot spiked cider and mistletoe), but having a well-made one definitely makes your party more interesting than serving solely Martinis. Though the Gibson is so close to a regular Martini that you’d call them siblings instead of cousins, it doesn’t get near the face time (of course, it doesn’t have the indignity of being made with vodka a lot, either). This is a shame, because the seemingly slight difference between them, the inclusion of a cocktail onion instead of a twist or olive, really does add a lot: a slight saltiness and savory-ness that makes a more rakish drink, one that’s still refined but a touch more dangerous, more Humphrey Bogart and less Cary Grant. The key, naturally, is getting a good cocktail onion. I’m always on the lookout for ideal cocktail onions, and I think I’ve recently found a new favorite: Saucy Mama cocktail onions. They have good flavor, retain their crunch when bathing in gin and vermouth, and look lovely in a cocktail glass. Whip up the below recipe from Good Spirits using two Saucy Mama cocktail onions (they’re that good) and Washington’s own Voyager gin (which is made with all organic botanicals and has a complex delicious flavor) at your next holiday gathering, or after a long day of holiday shopping, or anytime at all, and make your winter even more wonderful.

The Gibson

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1 or 2 cocktail onions for garnish

Directions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin and dry vermouth. Stir well.

2. Add one or two cocktail onions to a cocktail glass. Strain the mix over the onions.

A Note: This delivers a classically-sized 3-ounce cocktail, the perfect amount for you to drink it, as the saying goes, “while it’s laughing at you.”

—A.J. Rathbun