Dirty Martini
An ice-cold, silky gin martini with the salty depth of olive brine and a hint of vermouth.
Ingredients
- Gin, London Dry75 ml
- Dry vermouth15 ml
- Olive brine, from good green olives15 ml
- Olive, to garnish (optional)3 whole
Method
- Fill a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
- Pour in the gin, dry vermouth and olive brine.
- Stir briskly for 30–45 seconds, until the mixture is ice-cold and lightly diluted.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled martini glass.
- Thread the green olives onto a cocktail pick and lay it in the glass to garnish.
About this drink
The Dirty Martini began as a saltier take on the classic martini, when bartenders started adding olive brine for extra savoury depth and body. It became especially popular in the United States in the mid-twentieth century and is now a fixture on any serious cocktail menu. The balance of gin, vermouth and brine is everything: too much brine and the drink turns too salty and sharp.
Questions and answers
How much olive brine goes into a Dirty Martini?
The amount in this recipe is a good starting point; adjust it up or down depending on how dirty you like it. Some settle for a few dashes, others go all the way to equal parts gin and brine.
Can you make a Dirty Martini with vodka?
Vodka is just as common as gin here and gives a cleaner, less herbal base for the salty olive. Both are right; it depends on whether you want juniper in the picture.
