Dirty Martini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for a dirty martini? ›

In a mixing glass filled with ice, pour the gin, dry vermouth, and olive juice. Stir well for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled co*cktail glass.

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

A gin martini is generally more botanical in flavor, while often vodka lends the co*cktail a smoother, cleaner taste. When you add olive juice to the mix, a dirty gin martini tends to be more complex in flavor, whereas dirty vodka martinis often have a more one-note olive flavor. It's up to you which is best!

A dirty martini is a regular martini that is made “dirty” with the addition of olive brine. While most dirty martini recipes call for a little brine and some Vermouth, we opt to take out the Vermouth and add in more brine. The result is a very cold and flavorful co*cktail that olive lovers will fall head over heels for.

In its most classic form, a Dirty Martini adds olive brine to the standard Martini recipe. Some places, such as Bemelmans and Musso & Frank's, will split the dry vermouth and olive brine, substituting a portion of the vermouth with an equal amount of brine.

If you're the superstitious type, you may want to know that tradition states that serving olives in even numbers is bad luck. So one or three olives are great, but two? Not so much. Also, many martini co*cktail lovers like to have a salty snack to eat throughout their co*cktail, from first sip to last drop.

Dirty martini

You feel as though it marks you as sophisticated, debonair, a little dangerous. You're probably wearing a black turtleneck and have been waiting for an attractive woman to come to the bar all night just so you could order it within her earshot.

Bone-dry: a martini made with extremely little or no vermouth.

If you want a martini with gin, just order a “martini”. Any bar worth its liquor license will make it with gin. But if you'd prefer vodka, make sure you specify a “vodka martini”. And don't listen to martini purists – there's absolutely nothing wrong with ordering a vodka-based martini, if that's what you prefer.

Sweet Vermouth was initially used as a co*cktail ingredient to lower the overall alcohol content of a co*cktail with a strong spirit as their base, but Vermouth also adds a mellow herbal flavour and aroma to your drink. Vermouth is actually a type of fortified wine flavoured with various botanicals.

Is a dirty martini a classy drink? ›

Now a dirty vodka martini is my go-to drink when I crave a crisp co*cktail after work or want to feel classy at dinner with friends. The beauty of this drink is that it doesn't require many ingredients, just the right (quality) ones. It really comes back to those bar cart essentials.

With its clear colour and lack of a strong odor, the vodka martini allows Bond to keep a low profile while still enjoying a stiff drink. Q: Why does Bond prefer his martinis "shaken, not stirred"? A: Shaking aerates the drink, making it colder and slightly more dilute than stirring achieves.

Dirty Sue was featured in Liquor.com as the best olive juice for Dirty GIN Martinis. In an article featuring all the best mixers with gin, Dirty Sue was named the best olive juice for dirty, gin martinis. Dirty Sue is thrice filtered brine made from the best olives grown around the world.

You could use a dropper, or a spray diffuser to add the vermouth to the glass. You could swill vermouth around the glass and dump it out, but I hate the waste, although perhaps you could swill it into another martini glass rather than down the sink and reuse the excess vermouth for the next martini.

The batch involves blitzing equal parts pitted Castelvetrano olives and water in a blender before adding still more water and a 12:1 salt brine solution, resulting in a salty, pulpy mix that then rests in the refrigerator for a week.

Best Vodka for a Dirty Martini: Grey Goose Vodka

"The minerality of Grey Goose lends itself perfectly to a dirty martini, which I make using a high-quality brine, like Dirty Sue, which was created by a bartender and formulated specifically for use in co*cktails.”