Dirty Martini recipe
Gin or vodka, vermouth and green olive brine (or olive juice), stirred over ice in a martini glass, garnished with 3 green olives.
By Kris Barton · Updated - 2 mins total
- 4 ingredients
- Martini glass
This is a dirty flex on the classic Vodka Martini recipe, in which we add the brine from the green olive garnish to give the drink an extra, savoury dimension.
From experience, this is one people either love or hate, but it’s always an experience.
What ingredients do you need to make a Dirty Martini?
You make a Dirty Martini by combining:
Gin
Gin is a distilled alcohol drink made from Juniper Berries and is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world.
It’s popularity is growing year on year, with sales in the UK rising beyond £3 billion per year.
For Gin, we recommend:
Vodka
We compared 12 different brands of Vodka and determined that Smirnoff was the overall best option. Given the current climate with Russia, that may seem like a questionable choice, but Smirnoff isn’t made in Russia, it’s made all over the world.
It actually has a history of Russian persecution and the creators were forced to flee Russia.
Vermouth
Vermouth is an aromatic fortified wine that’s flavoured with various botanicals and is sometimes coloured.
Traditionally, Vermouth was used for medicinal purposes (we’ve heard that one before, am I right guys?) but was later served as an aperitif in fashionable Turin cafes in the mid to late 18th century.
By the 19th century, it’d become popular with bartenders in the creation of fancy cocktails such as the Martini, the Manhattan, the Rob Roy, and the Negroni.
What Equipment do you need to make a Dirty Martini?
To make a Dirty Martini, you need the following equipment…
Jigger
It’s important to get the mix of any cocktail right. The measurements are set for a reason – to specify a tried, tested, and tasty drink.
A jigger is going to help you get those perfect measurements – after all, it is what the pro’s use.
For a jigger, we recommend:
Mixing Glass
If you have a cocktail recipe that calls for the mix to be stirred, rather than shaken, then a Mixing Glass is the way to go.
Why? Because it’s easier to stir and pour the mix, by design. Also, it’s cooler.
For a Mixing Glass, we recommend:
Bar Spoon
Bar Spoons are great for cocktails you’re suppose to stir, rather than shake in a cocktail shaker.
Sure, you can probably use any spoon to stir your drink but these bar spoons are the real deal. It’s the proper equipment to get the job right.
- They’re long enough to get to the bottom of any cocktail to allow you to properly stir.
- They have a twist spiral design that allows for a better grip.
- They’re made out of stainless steel, so they’re durable, corrosion resistant, and easy to clean.
Hawthorne Strainer
If you (or perhaps the person you’re buying for) don’t have a Hawthorne strainer as part of a cocktail shaker set, it’s a great, and incredibly useful, cocktail gift you need in your cocktail toolbox.
The strainer is typically used to remove the ice (or any other unwanted solid ingredients) from your cocktail as it’s poured from the cocktail shaker into your glass.
For a Hawthorne Strainer, we recommend:
Martini Glass
This cocktail recipe tastes great, but let’s make it look great too.
Having the right glass for the right cocktail always makes the experience more enjoyable in my experience.
And the right glass is a cocktail glass.
We recommend:
Now let’s dive into the recipe…
How to make a Dirty Martini
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Recipe card
Dirty Martini
- Prep
- 1 min
- Making
- 1 min
- Total
- 2 mins
- Serves
- 1
- Glass
- Martini glass
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink.
Method
- Add ice, gin, vermouth, and olive brine (or olive juice) to a mixing glass.
- Stir well with a bar spoon.
- Use an Hawthorne strainer to strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with 3 green olives.
Want more like this? Browse our full collection of martinis.
Dirty Martini FAQs
What makes a Martini dirty?
Olive brine. A Dirty Martini is a twist on the classic Vodka Martini, with brine from the green olive garnish added to give it an extra, savoury dimension. People either love it or hate it.
Should a Dirty Martini be made with gin or vodka?
What is vermouth?
An aromatic fortified wine, flavoured with botanicals and sometimes coloured. It started out as a medicine, was served as an aperitif in fashionable Turin cafés in the 18th century, and by the 19th century bartenders were using it in cocktails like the Martini and the Manhattan.
What Ingredients do you need to make a Dirty Martini?
To make a Dirty Martini, you need 70ml / 2.5oz gin or vodka, 15ml / 0.5oz vermouth and 25ml / 0.8oz green olive brine (or olive juice), plus 3 green olives to garnish. There’s more about the ingredients above.
What Equipment do you need to make a Dirty Martini?
You’ll need a mixing glass, a bar spoon, a Hawthorne strainer and a cocktail glass. There’s more about the equipment above.
What alcohol is in a Dirty Martini?
A Dirty Martini contains 70ml / 2.5oz gin or vodka and 15ml / 0.5oz vermouth.
Is a Dirty Martini shaken or stirred?
A Dirty Martini is stirred, not shaken. Stir it with ice in a mixing glass, then strain it into a martini glass.
What glass is a Dirty Martini served in?
Serve a Dirty Martini in a martini glass.
How do you garnish a Dirty Martini?
Garnish a Dirty Martini with 3 green olives.
How do I make a Dirty Martini for a group?
The recipe makes one drink. Multiply every measure by the number of drinks you want: for 4, you’d need 280ml gin or vodka, 60ml vermouth and 100ml green olive brine (or olive juice).
