I love the salty and briny taste of a dirty martini! The combination of olives and smooth vodka makes this chilled and fancy looking cocktail a favorite among those who prefer salty over sweet. My recipe is light and easy to drink.
A perfectly chilled glass of martini is one of those things that always makes me feel sophisticated. Something special happens whenever I hold the glass and slowly take a sip from its conical shape. Though I do love sweet flavored martinis such as the popular appletini and espresso martini, or the classic French martini, my favorite martini of all time is the dirty martini.
That’s because I love anything that’s salty, briny, almost a little pungent. My recipe for this cocktail has the right balance of clean, floral, and salty. Feel free to adjust the taste from there!
Table of contents
Ingredients Needed
- Dry vermouth: Adding a little dry vermouth to a martini dilutes the boozy taste of vodka. So, instead of tasting pure ethanol, the drink will have a smoother, more mellow flavor. You can use any type of dry vermouth for this recipe but I personally like Noilly Prat‘s complex herbal, bitter, and slightly sweet taste.
- Vodka: Choosing a smooth and velvety vodka like Grey Goose, Belvedere or Svedka will yield a cocktail that’s easy to drink, with hints of sweetness and spiciness.
- Green olives and olive juice: This is where you can really have fun playing with the flavor of a dirty martini! I’ve had extra dirty martinis where the drink was very briny and salty, and others where I could barely taste olive juice. My recipe is somewhere in between but feel free to tweak the taste by adding more or less olive juice. And save a few olives to use as garnish!
- Ice cubes: Ice cubes are needed to chill the drink and soften the taste.
Variations
- Add a ‘twist’: Add a lemon peel or a sprinkle of finely grated lemon zest to add a fruity and sour element.
- Make it smoky: Use smoked vodka or a few drops of smoked bitters to add warmth and smokiness to the drink.
- Make it spicy: Add a dash of jalapeno hot sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to add some heat.
- Use a different pickled garnish: Use pickled onions or a cornichon instead of olives.
How To Make It
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Place a martini glass in the fridge and leave for a few minutes until it gets cold.
- Put the ingredients and some ice cubes in a martini shaker and shakes for a few seconds.
- Pour the drink in the chilled martini glass and serve with a few skewered olives.
Expert Tip
- Use good vodka and fresh olive brine: I have tried using olive juice mixes and premix dirty martini vodka, and can say that the final result does not taste as good as a freshly made dirty martini. Using a smooth vodka, a good quality dry vermouth, and olive brine from a jar of olives will ensure that your cocktail will taste premium.
What To Serve This Cocktail With
Whenever I make myself a dirty martini it’s because I crave the taste more than the boozy aspect of it. Therefore, I prefer eating snacks over a meal in order to keep the clean and salty taste of my martini as pure as possible.
Some of my favorite snacks I like to eat that don’t overwhelm the palate are:
- Shrimp cocktail
- Rustic baked brie
- Sweet and salty masala popcorn
- Tortilla chips with guasacaca
- Chips with edamame hummus
Other delicious cocktails you might like to try: Lemon sour, green tea shot, sex on the beach, gazpacho bloody mary, rosemary ginger whiskey sour, ginger moscow mule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can. Since the original martini was made with gin it’s only fair that all martinis should have the option to be made with gin. I recommend using a high quality gin that’s smooth such as Plymouth Gin or Fords Dry Gin.
That’s up to you! If you like your martini to be more diluted, shake it. If you like a more assertive taste, stir it.
You can use a small wine glass, a coupe glass (champagne glass, not flute), or a rocks glass.
Yes you can! If you are making the cocktail ahead of time there is no need to use any ice cubes. Instead, dilute the cocktail with water. Start by adding a splash of water and taste it. Keep adding little by little until you are satisfied with the taste and chill it in the fridge until right before serving.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Dirty Martini
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/2 ounce olive juice
- 2 to 3 pitted green olives
- Skewer sticks (optional)
Instructions
- Chill the martini glasses: Start by chilling a martini glass in the fridge.
- Add martini ingredients to the cocktail shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka, dry vermouth, and olive juice.
- Give it a good shake: Close the shaker with a lid and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Garnish the martini: Pour the dirty martini in a martini glass and garnish skewered olives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 martini
- Calories: 173
- Sugar: 1.1g
- Sodium: 125.3mg
- Fat: 1.8g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 0.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
