The Three Martini Lunch (with a twist)
Reasonable people can feel like the virtual elimination of the “Three Martini Lunch” represents progress. Progress in the campaign against alcoholism. In the homogeneity of a workforce that would romanticize getting absolutely hammered over lunch. But nostalgia is a powerful thing, and even I am not immune.
I don’t drink often, and when I do, it’s almost always a Manhattan. But the elegance of the phrase “Three Martini Lunch” has never left my imagination. So, when the very first Sales Executive Leader Lunch (SELL) was to be held mid-day in San Francisco, I wanted to offer those guests who didn’t have to work the rest of the day the opportunity to revive the Three Martini Lunch, albeit with a twist.
The idea was simple: let guests enjoy three literal Martinis, but make them small so the actual alcohol consumed is closer to 1 or 1.5 Martinis. Believing that the restaurant’s Martini glasses would look ridiculous only 1/3 full, I purchased 30 miniature Martini glasses and brought them to the restaurant. In the photo at right, you can see them in front of my briefcase for scale.
The bartender at Angler, one of San Francisco’s finest restaurants, agreed to the gimmick and proceeded to make three different Martinis for guests to drink:
A cucumber Martini (at left) to start
A classic gin Martini (center)
An espresso Martini for dessert (at right)
The idea was a huge hit. Almost everyone that attended indulged in the Three Martini Lunch but in a very 2000s manner that allowed them to finish the work day in much better shape than their ancestors.
