Gibson Martini

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh white pearl onions, root ends trimmed, keeping root intact
• 0.75 cup rice vinegar
• 0.75 cup water
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries, slightly smashed using flat side of a knife
• 1 medium garlic clove, halved
• 1 cup (8 ounces) gin (such as Spirit of Hven)
• 0.5 cup (4 ounces) dry vermouth (such as Dolin)
• 2 tablespoons onion pickling liquid
• 8 cups ice

Steps

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process, changing the water once, about 30 seconds. Remove skins from onions and discard. Transfer peeled onions to a quart-sized glass container with a lid.
2. Bring vinegar, 3/4 cup water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, juniper, and garlic to a simmer in a small saucepan over high, stirring until sugar and salt is dissolved. Remove from heat; pour mixture over onions in container. Let cool 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 days or up to 1 month.
3. In a large mixing glass, combine gin, vermouth, and pickling liquid from onion mixture over 2 cups ice. Stir for 1 minute.
4. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a pickled onion.
5. Empty mixing glass and repeat mixing process for remaining 3 martinis.