Wet or dry, dirty or clean, the martini has long stood as the pinnacle of mixed drinks. After years of bar trends cycling through one classic after another, the spotlight has finally swung back to the martini. The result is a full-scale revival.
This resurgence looks different from the “neo-tini” wave of the 1990s and early 2000s, when almost any drink could be given the suffix as long as it arrived in a V-shaped glass. Drinks like the Lemon Drop and Cosmopolitan dominated sprawling “martini menus,” many of which didn’t feature a classic build at all. That approach continued into the early aughts, until the craft cocktail movement reintroduced bartenders to the fundamentals.
A new generation of gins, better vermouths, higher-quality bitters, and a fresh appreciation for elegant glassware set the stage for the martini’s return to form, pushing the category back toward technique, balance, and tradition.
Today, operators are digging into the drink’s history while layering in modern touches, yielding menus that honor the original template without being confined by it.
“I think there’s a resurgence of vodka-based and the gin-based martinis as a whole, with plays on different garnishes and different presentations,” says Shaun Henesy, director of food and beverage at Sofitel New York, the U.S. flagship of Paris-based Sofitel Hotels & Resorts. “There’s an elegance and refinement to that type of cocktail. It’s really beautiful, simple, and boozy in its traditional aspect.”
Henesy notes that well-executed classics are easier to find than ever, but the martini also serves as a strong canvas for stories, concepts, and creative flourishes. That philosophy helped shape the beverage program at Social 45, Sofitel New York’s new bar and bistro that opened last fall.
Henesy says his team set out to blend the energy of New York City with the sophistication of Paris, a theme that carries through decor and the menu, including the signature Sofitel N5 Martini made with gin, a vermouth house blend, champagne cordial, and a homemade N5 perfume spray.
“It’s a traditional recipe, but then we add in a little bit of champagne cordial to give it that French influence, with just a spritz of perfume over the top of it,” Henesy says. “So, it’s kind of a New York cocktail at the foundation, but with a trip to Paris.”
The drink is served in a coupe, a choice gaining traction as operators lean toward softer silhouettes and better aromatic expression over the classic V-shaped glass. “I think that’s a more elegant presentation of these cocktails,” Henesy says. “It’s similar to a champagne flute in the way that it gives you the opportunity to take the nose of the drink or the bouquet, and really get that juniper from the gin or some of the olive, some of the dirtiness, some of the acid from a dirty martini.”
Beyond the classics, few drinks are riding the wave harder than the espresso martini, which continues to climb in popularity. Social 45’s Nitro Espresso Martini—a nitrogen-infused blend of cold brew, vodka, vanilla, and salt—is a popular choice among guests, reflecting a broader push toward cold brew builds, flavor pairings, and nitrogenation for a frothy texture that adds another layer of indulgence. Bartenders across the country also are finding new ways to keep the caffeinated favorite front and center with spirit swaps like scotch for added depth.
The martini’s versatility allows it to absorb adjacent beverage trends. Social 45’s Blueberry Matcha Martini channels coffeeshop culture with a blend of gin, coconut rum, matcha, blueberry, and vanilla, tapping into a flavor profile that surged on social media. At the same time, broader flavor trends skewing toward briny, spicy, and umami notes are pushing bartenders to rethink the dirty martini with ingredients like caper brine, miso-infused water, feta brine, and pickled vegetables.
Smaller formats are gaining traction as well. Sip-sized martinis that are closer to a shot than a full pour are giving guests a lighter entry point. At Macchialina in Miami Beach, for example, martinis can be ordered as full-size drinks or as the 1.5-ounce “Bambini Tini,” described on the menu as “a sessionable way to start your night off right.” The format also helps operators control costs while offering guests a chilled, concentrated sip before shifting to lower-proof choices.
Even the tequila boom has found its way into the martini conversation. The Mexican Martini, a Texas-born offshoot of the margarita with olive brine and pimento-stuffed olives, offers bars and restaurants another access point for agave fans—though it stretches the definition of a martini about as far as the neo-tini era once did.
Guests typically aren’t overly concerned with those distinctions, though. For most people, a drink is less about strict classification and more about what it conveys, says Travis Strickland, chief operating officer at Alliance Hospitality Group, which operates over a dozen high-end concepts across California and Arizona.
“It’s the way you feel when you hold the glass,” he says. “You feel sophisticated. You feel like it’s the beginning of an experience of a night out. I think that’s really what people are looking for. They want to feel dressed up and sophisticated and sexy and fun. That’s how they feel when they’re holding a glass and drinking something that’s called a martini.”
Alliance Hospitality’s newest concept, Sexy Roman, an Italian nightspot in Scottsdale, Arizona, doubled down on that sentiment when it opened last year with a martini menu built around rare spirits and dramatic garnishes. The lineup includes options like The Provocateur, made with vanilla-infused vodka, passionfruit liqueur, and a touch of prosecco, served alongside flambéed passionfruit and sparkling lime dust. The Midas Touch pairs vodka and limoncello over a sphere ice cube, topped with lemon-drop gummy bears coated in gold flake. The Stiletto Espresso layers vodka, Italian coffee liqueurs, cold brew, and a vanilla smoke bubble guests pop tableside with a golden espresso bean.
Sexy Roman takes things a step further with what it calls “Scottsdale’s most theatrical cocktail service.” Guests summon a martini cart with a button at their table, signaling a mixologist to arrive and guide them through a made-to-order experience. They can select from the restaurant’s lineup of elevated martinis or customize their own for a completely personalized drink.
The return of the tableside martini cart has been gaining momentum across the country for years. Many upscale bars and restaurants have embraced a similar approach, from Silver Lyan and Medina in Washington, D.C.; Holbrook House, Bar Crenn, and State Bird Provisions in San Francisco; and Borgo and Chateau Royale in New York, to name a few.
The appeal stems from the desire to offer guests a more interactive, premium experience, one that highlights craft and presentation. Social media has only amplified that interest, and in the post-pandemic era, more diners are gravitating toward service elements that feel thoughtful, immersive, and unique.
“At this level of dining, and especially in cities that have a vibrant restaurant scene, people are treating going out to eat as their primary form of entertainment,” Strickland says. “There’s a theatrical component that people are almost expecting at this point.”
Developing Sexy Roman’s cart required careful planning. Strickland’s team iterated through several design revisions to ensure the cart’s layout, movement, and tools could support a seamless tableside performance. They also needed a clear way for guests to request the service and for staff to track demand throughout the dining room.
“There’s a kind of scarcity component to this,” Strickland says. “If you give that to every single table just as part of your normal dining experience, it almost loses a little bit of its allure.”
The solution was a custom lamp on each table, featuring a hand-drawn martini emblem embedded in a button. When pressed, the lamp glows red, signaling to servers that a guest wants the cart. “In a dimly lit dining room, it’s really dramatic and fun,” Strickland says. “People press that button and then they’re immediately smiling.”
The cart itself is wrapped in wide-grain hardwood and brass, with a recessed nitro blast chiller at its center that flash-cools imported Italian martini glasses and releases a plume of chilled vapor for added theater.
Strickland notes that even with a tougher economic backdrop, interest in these premium moments hasn’t waned. Guests may be more selective with their spending, but when they choose to go out, they still look for something memorable.
With that in mind, Strickland suggests zeroing in on one or two standout elements when upgrading a martini or a broader beverage program, and says teams exploring more theatrical service should be deliberate about the kind of experience they want to create.
“You have to be careful not to just rush to put something tableside in the dining room if it hasn’t been fully curated,” he says. “Figure out what that ‘wow’ is going to be, and then shape the product and the experience around that.”
