John Gilbert Martin
John Gilbert Martin shared a name with his Grandfather, Gilbert F. Heublein, who was the Founder and President of Heublein Inc, until his death in 1937.
John G. Martin was one of the two men credited with creating the Moscow Mule; the other person is Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock 'n Bull English Tavern in Hollywood..
Martin died in 1986; he was survived by his wife, former actress Jane Weeks Martin, who was also a friend of Jack Morgan.
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Historical References
Time Magazine, 1st January 1965
"Its boss is John G. Martin, 59, the British-born grandson of one of the original Heubleins, who owns 10% of the company (which he runs with the help of President Ralph Hart) and likes to sip Bell's twelveyear-old Scotch, another of the products that Heublein distributes."
Miami Herald, 30th May 1986
"John G. Martin, the man who introduced vodka to the American public, died Thursday at his home in Naples, Fla. He was 80. He was president of Hartford-based GF Heublein and Brothers in 1939 when the company acquired the rights to Smirnoff vodka for $14000. Some called the purchase "Martin's folly. "I made the first sale of vodka outside Hartford in South Carolina," Mr. Martin recalled during an interview. But they changed their minds when he opened promotion for cocktails made with vodka - the Moscow Mule"
"He was chairman of Heublein from 1961 until he retired in 1966."
New York Times, 31st May 1986
"Mr. Martin was president of the Hartford-based Heublein Inc. in 1939 when it acquired, ... the rights to a struggling little liquor company named Smirnoff."
