Click the tartan to view its entry in The Scottish Registers of Tartans which includes registration details, restrictions, and registrant information.
Unregistered tartans may link to one of the web's online design environments for similar information.
For any questions about reproduction of designs or weaving of these tartans, please contact the registrant directly or via this website.
Martini Day
"There is something about a Martini,
A tingle remarkably pleasant;
A yellow, a mellow Martini;
I wish I had one at present.
There is something about a Martini,
Ere the dining and dancing begin,
And to tell you the truth,
It is not the vermouth—
I think that perhaps it's the gin."
~ A Drink With Something In It, Ogden Nash (1902-1971)
Cheers, tartan enthusiasts! Those whisky-hued tartans have a colourful interloper in their midst, and one with origins in the classic mid-century modern cocktail, the Martini!
A classic Martini—gin and vermouth served in a distinctive V-shaped glass and garnished with either a green olive or a twist of lemon—reached the height of its popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s. During this era, the legendary "three-martini lunch" became a symbol of the cosmopolitan executive and sophisticated urban lifestyle. Variations on the theme soon emerged, including the Kangaroo, which substituted vodka for gin, and the Gibson, which replaced the olive garnish with a cocktail onion. Perhaps the most famous variation of all was James Bond's preferred Vesper—a potent blend of gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet, finished with a twist of lemon peel.
By the 1970s, colourful and sweeter interpretations such as the Lemon Drop and Blue Lemon Martini had become staples of the then fashionable fern bars, appealing to a new generation of cocktail enthusiasts who favored fruitier and more colourful drinks.
Today, the Martini's influence can be seen in countless descendants, from the ubiquitous Appletini and Lycheetini to the indulgent Mochatini.
Although purists may shudder, Whiskey and whisky have also found their way into the Martini family. A Whiskey Martini typically replaces gin with American rye whiskey or bourbon while retaining dry vermouth, creating a drier cousin to the classic Manhattan.
Scotch whisky enthusiasts may prefer a Scotch Martini, made with Scotch and dry vermouth, often garnished with a twist of lemon. Related cocktails include the Rob Roy, which combines Scotch whisky with sweet vermouth, and the Smoky Martini, which adds a splash of peaty Scotch to a traditional gin Martini.
Whatever your preference, from a peaty Highland malt to a classic gin Martini, here's to good company and good stories. 💙 💛 💚 🥃🍸🍸🍸
One of the best known cocktails, and particularly favoured (shaken, not stirred) by fictional spy James Bond, the martini has many variants, all built from the base ingredients of gin and vermouth.
H. L. Mencken called the Martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude."
Numerous cocktails with names and ingredients similar to the modern-day martini were first seen in bartending guides of the late 19th century. In 1863, an Italian vermouth maker started marketing their product under the brand name of Martini, and the brand name may be the source of the cocktail's name.
Another popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez.
And yet another theory links the first dry martini to the name of a bartender who concocted the drink at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in 1911 or 1912.
Many variants of the Blue Lemon or Blue Lemon Drop martini do not always use classic martini ingredients but are always served in a martini glass, which shows off their beautiful blue color. In the 1970s, bars began catering to single women. They crafted colorful, sugary, feminine drinks to attract women to the bar, hoping that the men would follow and create a lively, diverse nightlife scene. One such bar was the legendary (now defunct) Henry Africa’s in San Francisco - the world’s first “fern bar,” the slang term for preppy bars that catered to singles, typically decorated with ferns and Tiffany lamps. There, bartender Norman Jay Hobday created his own take on this sweet cocktail drink trend: the Lemon Drop Martini. Made with vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup, the original Lemon Drop Martini was a sweet-tart cocktail designed to taste like the namesake hard candy. The addition of Chambord and Blue Curacao make the striking Blue Lemon Martini.
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan mimics the colours of this classic cocktail.
For a true blue martini recipe including Tanqueray Gin, Dry Vermouth, Blue Curacao and fresh lemon Juice, click the cocktail.