The production of Bitter Martini dates back to the 1870s and boasts a continued popularity to the present day. As shown in the historical cocktail books, Bitter is a perfect ingredient for cocktails: mixed with Vermouth and soda to make and Americano; with Vermout and Gin for a perfect Negroni.
In 1863, the Martini, Sola and Compagnia - then Martini & Rossi - was founded in Turin (Italy) by Alessandro Martini, Teofilo Sola, and Luigi Rossi. In 1864 production was centralized at Pessione, where it is still active today. Thanks to the recipe created by Luigi Rossi, the Martini Rosso made the company famous all over the world. Asti Martini, ChinaMartini, Bitter, Martini Dry (1898), Martini Bianco (1910) soon followed. Branches and warehouses were opened in the five continents. The award from the International Exhibition of Dublin (1865) was just the beginning of a long series of recognitions for quality.
Famous artisits created for Martini exclusive posters and advertising campaigns. In more recent times, video advertising become legendary with international celebrities, and unforgettable claims like “No Martini no party”.
Since 1948, publicity and image reached new heights with the spread of the Terrazza Martini. In 1968, the creation of the Martini Racing Team was a real triumph for Martini & Rossi's sporting sponsorship, whose roots can be traced back to the 1920s with the first sponsorships on cycling.
In 1993 the Martini and Bacardi Groups merged, uniting two companies with remarkably similar traditions, culture and historical development.