Olive Oil Gibson Image by Liza Schoenfein

By Liza Schoenfein December 10, 2020

The gin in this recipe is something of a revelation: It’s infused with olive branch and olive oil, which not only impart woodsy, savory character but also serve nicely as a symbol of the holiday. It makes for a great Hanukkah gift and a great Gibson — a martini garnished with onions instead of olives. For this recipe we pickled our own, but the little guys in the jar work fine too.

Makes one cocktail

For the pickled onion:

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

1 small red onion
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

For the drink:

2 ounces Four Pillars Olive Branch gin* [https://woodencork.com/search?q=Four+PIllars+Gin&type=product] ½ teaspoon dry vermouth

To pickle the onion: Slice a red onion into thin rounds. Place in a strainer and pour boiling water over them. In a glass jar, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar and salt dissolve. Add onions and press below the liquid, adding more vinegar if necessary to cover. (If you like, remove larger rings and reserve for another use; you’ll want the smallest ones for the cocktail.) Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. The onions will turn a vibrant shade of pink.

To make the cocktail: Combine gin and vermouth in a shaker or small pitcher filled with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds, then pour into a martini glass. Garnish with pickled onion.

*Wooden Cork is offering a promotion for the next few months. For $10 off your Four Pillars purchase, use promo code “shaker”. In New York City, Four Pillars is available at Columbus Wine & Spirits.

Liza Schoenfein is a former food editor of the Forward and the author of the blog Life, Death & Dinner. Follow her on Instagram @lifedeathdinner

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount