Bacardi Celebrates 160 Years Of MARTINI
July 3, 2023
Hamilton, Bermuda, July 3, 2023 – Family-owned spirits company Bacardi is celebrating the 160th anniversary of MARTINI®, the leading vermouth and sparkling wine brand, with a series of events and launches that will build on its legacy as an icon of Italian style and culture.
Since 1863, MARTINI has been a pioneering presence in the world of drinks and in cocktail culture thanks to its Italian craftsmanship, Italian quality and Italian taste. Aperitivo would not be aperitivo without MARTINI.
This year is also the 30th anniversary of MARTINI joining the Bacardi portfolio of premium wines and spirits. Since Bacardi, a family-owned company that recently marked its own 160th anniversary, acquired the Martini & Rossi Group in 1993, MARTINI has been part of a growing portfolio of iconic brands which today includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, ST-GERMAIN® liqueur and, of course, BACARDĺ® rum.
For 160 years, MARTINI has been an icon of Italian culture while continuously evolving, innovating and inspiring each new generation. What’s stayed constant is a commitment to craftsmanship, quality and exceptional taste. As we celebrate this milestone for MARTINI, we continue to make MARTINI a modern, Italian lifestyle brand, that we can continue to be proud of while carrying its legacy for future generations.”
Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited
The 160th anniversary of MARTINI is being celebrated in a number of exciting ways:
New MARTINI global campaign – ‘160 years of Italian taste’ draws inspiration from the legacy of MARTINI as a symbol of Italian style and culture. The campaign brings together the brand’s heritage and its vision for the future with imagery that illustrates how the brand is moving into a new era. The new creative reflects consumers’ changing drinking habits – the brand’s newest innovation, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo is front and center and represents how MARTINI is meeting the demand for the rise in mindful drinking, while remaining grounded in aperitivo culture;
First ever aged MARTINI vermouth – MARTINI Maestro 36, demonstrates the brand’s constant drive to innovate and create new experiences for every generation. MARTINI Maestro 36 is aged for 36 months to create an exceptional, super-premium expression of the classic vermouth. Created by MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso, Maestro 36 captures 160 years of vermouth-making expertise in a limited edition of only 2,000 bottles. To celebrate the Italian hospitality industry’s support for MARTINI over 160 years, Maestro 36 is available exclusively in bars and restaurants in Italy;
MARTINI Pop-Up Bar at DAZI Milano – Everyone in Milan, the style capital of Italy, is invited to join the celebration by visiting this special pop-up MARTINI bar. Enjoy an unforgettable MARTINI aperitivo in an unforgettable venue, open until July 4;
MARTINI postage stamp – The Italian Government is celebrating 160 years of MARTINI and 160 years of an iconic brand proudly Made in Italy with the release of a MARTINI postage stamp, available at post offices across Italy starting in July;
Terrazza MARTINI influencers digitized for future generations – A collection of 30,000 photographs taken at the Terrazza MARTINI since its opening in 1958 is being preserved for future generations in the first corporate digitization project supported by the Italgas Heritage Lab. The collection captures generations of celebrities and influencers at Milan’s most fashionable destination.
Founded in 1863 by entrepreneur Alessandro Martini and herbalist Luigi Rossi, MARTINI has a legacy that goes far beyond the world of drinks. MARTINI has left its mark on everything from culture to sport. Hollywood stars and artists have collaborated with MARTINI to create legendary advertising campaigns; Terrazza MARTINI parties have influenced generations of style leaders; and the now classic MARTINI racing stripes are famous around the world.
MARTINI can look back on an extraordinary legacy and look forward to a future full of new innovations.
For generations, MARTINI has cared for the environment, for suppliers and their communities. The brand’s sustainability milestones are a reflection of Bacardi and its mission to be the most environmentally responsible global spirits company. Back in 1987, L’Osservatorio MARTINI – the MARTINI Observatory – was established in Northern Italy as a center dedicated to promoting sustainable farming methods. And in just the last year, MARTINI has been using solar energy to power the distillation of its botanicals and 100% of the wineries for the entire MARTINI portfolio have been certified sustainable.
Helping to achieve these sustainability milestones is newly appointed Master of Botanicals, Alessandro Garneri and MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso. Only the eighth Master Blender in the 160-year history of MARTINI, Beppe has been instrumental in the creation of contemporary vermouth MARTINI Fiero, a 100% natural blend of citrus, bittersweet orange and crisp white wines, as well as the deliciously complex MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo range.
This year, MARTINI is celebrating its 160th birthday but we are still young. Our knowledge and experience grows with each new generation and that is reflected in the quality and taste of every MARTINI drink and in our commitment to sustainable practices that will secure our future for the next 160 years. That’s what really excites me – our future legacy. This is only the beginning.”
Beppe Musso, MARTINI Master Blender
About MARTINI
One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI® is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality vermouths and sparkling wines. The award- winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. First created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI portfolio today includes: MARTINI Fiero, MARTINI Riserva Speciale Rubino, Ambrato & Bitter, MARTINI Bianco, Rosato, Rosso & Extra Dry, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Vibrante & Floreale, MARTINI Asti, Prosecco & Rosé Extra Dry. For more information, please visit www.martini.com or @martini on all social media platforms.
MARTINI and the ball & bar logo are trademarks. MARTINI is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.
