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Do you love Martinis as much as I do? Great!
The Dirty Martini is a fantastic take on the classic Dry Martini; this type of martini is a different animal though. It’s strong, salty, and very, very delicious.
But word of warning: if you’re not an olive person, then this is definitely not for you!
Why? Because you make a Dirty Martini by combining Gin, Vermouth, and Olive Juice (or olive brine). You also garnish it with olives.
Click here to jump right to the recipe!
Recipe
Let’s waste no time and dive right in…
Dirty Martini
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Recipe
- Add Ice, Gin, Vermouth, and Olive Brine (or Olive Juice) to a mixing glass
- Stir well with a bar spoon
- Strain into a chilled Cocktail Glass
- Garnish with 3 Green Olives.
A Note on Garnish
Green olives are the best garnish for the Dirty Martini drink, but if you don’t like them plain, then the blue cheese-stuffed ones are the way to go.
If you don’t like olives at all, you can get by with cocktail/pickled onions.
Olives Tip
There are a couple of tips when it comes to olives and making delicious alcoholic drinks:
- Always use an odd number of olives. An even number is bad luck. I have no idea why, it’s just a bartender’s suspicion.
- Always keep your olives refrigerated. It m makes for a better olive and is much more sanitary.
Serve it Ice Cold
One great tip for this drink is: serve it as cold as you possibly can.
You mix this martini with ice anyway, but for this particular drink, it’s worth taking it one step further.
How? Chill your glass in the fridge before serving, that’s how.
What Makes this Martini Dirty?
It comes down to this: this Martini cocktail contains olive brine (or olive juice if that’s what you wanna call it).
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Drink…
- It’s quick and easy: 3 ingredients and a couple of minutes to make. That’s it.
- A Dirty Martini is great for a number of classy parties…or just a classy girl’s night. Or lads night for that matter.
- It’s cheaper: make it at home rather than out on the town at a fraction of the cost and if you follow our tips and tricks, it’ll probably taste better too!
- 100% vegetarian and vegan…and an olive lover’s dream!
What do I need to make a Dirty Martini?
So…what do you need to make a Dirty Martini? Let’s take a look…
Gin
For Gin, we recommend:
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Vermouth
For Vermouth, we recommend:
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Green Olives and Olive Brine
We recommend these excellent Green Olives to garnish and use the olive brine they come in, in the martini recipe.
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Mixing Spoon
For Mixing Spoons, we recommend:
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Hawthorne Strainer
For a Strainer, we recommend:
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Cocktail Glass
For glasses, we recommend:
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Is it the Martini that James Bond drinks?
Bond drinks a Vodka Martini that’s shaken, not stirred so technically this Martini isn’t the same as what Bond drinks.
However, you can find the drink he actually creates in Casino Royale and in the books – the Vesper Martini – right here.
What is 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.
Shaken or stirred?
So the big question is: should this drink be shaken or stirred?
Typically, Martinis are stirred, but I prefer shaken. I feel you get a better mix and it enhances the overall flavour.
Should you use Gin or Vodka?
Great question. You could use either – or both – depending on how frivolous you’re feeling, but historically a Dirty Martini is made with gin.
There is some debate as to whether Vodka is actually better for Martinis as it draws out more flavour from the other ingredients, which I can totally get behind.
My advice: try it with both and see which you prefer. In my experience, that’s always the best option.
If you’re looking for Vodka, check out our What is the Best Vodka? article for some ideas and inspiration.
Is this what James Bond drinks?
This is a common question when it comes to the Dirty Martini and rightfully so! Who doesn’t want to be as cool as James Bond?
But not, this isn’t Bond’s drink.
James Bond drinks the Vesper Martini as stipulated in the latest Casino Royale movie.
Want More Cocktail Recipes?
Do you wanna try more Martinis? Or just something a little different? We’ve got you covered!
Find more recipes in the following places on ThatCocktail:
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