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 classic gin or vodka Martini omits the olive brine entirely. The Dirty Martini is where things start to get crazy: Bartenders add a quarter-ounce of olive brine to the co*cktail. Add more than that, and you're slipping into Filthy Martini territory.

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!

Though many dirty martini recipes call for a splash, Carlson-Tye believes there is no need. She mixed me one with vermouth and one without, and I agree. Vermouth, in its herbal sourness, works against the olive juice.

There is a fine line when it comes to brine, and this drink can go from delightful to disgusting really quickly. Customizable with gin or vodka, a touch of vermouth and defiled with olive juice, if you like your martini dirty, you're hip, swanky, stylish…

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. For those who like their co*cktails to have a savoury edge, the Dirty Martini is a delicious, slightly salty, choice. The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink.

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.

This variation isn't as old as a classic martini, but it's damn near as iconic. The name of the Dirty Martini can titillate some; for other fans it stands as part of their identity. Either way, it represents an ideal, sophisticated and deeply satisfying aperitif.

What does vermouth do to a martini? ›

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.

Though it can be made with either technique, many bartenders prefer to shake this co*cktail to allow for the ingredients to better integrate, and for the denser olive brine to mix more thoroughly with the less-dense vodka or gin.

Classic martinis are typically either garnished with an olive or multiple olives on a skewer for a savory infusion. While ordering your co*cktail “with a twist” means that your co*cktail will come with a piece of lemon rind giving your martini a bit of a citrusy taste.

Whether you like your Martini with Gin or Vodka, and dirty or down right filthy, Doc Elliott's Olive Bitters is the secret to making this Dirty Martini deliciously savory.

The ratio is negotiable, but common formulas for a Dry Martini typically fall in the range of four-to-eight parts gin to one part vermouth. A dash of orange bitters ties the room together. Despite the exacting demands of a certain fictional British spy, the Martini is meant to be stirred, not shaken.

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.

The difference between a neat and a dirty martini is the addition of olive brine in a dirty martini. A "neat" martini contains only gin or vodka and vermouth, garnished with a twist or an olive, while a "dirty" martini includes olive brine, giving it a salty and briny flavour.

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.”