Dirty Martini recipe
Olive brine turns the Martini savory — briny, bold, and polarizing.
Method: Stir or Shake ·
Glass: Martini glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Martini Family
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz Gin or Vodka
- 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
- 0.5 oz Olive Brine
How to make a Dirty Martini
- Add gin (or vodka), dry vermouth, and olive brine to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until very cold.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with 2-3 olives on a cocktail pick.
Garnish
2-3 green olives on a pick.
Pro tip
The quality of your olive brine matters enormously. Use brine from good-quality olives (Castelvetrano or Cerignola), not the cheap stuff. Some bars make their own clarified olive juice for a cleaner look.
History of the Dirty Martini
The Dirty Martini dates back to at least the early 1900s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was known to make them at the White House. The drink fell out of fashion with cocktail purists but remained popular with the public throughout the 20th century.
Flavour profile
Savory, Briny, Dry, Bold
Variations
- Filthy Martini — Double the olive brine for maximum salt
- Dirty Vodka Martini — Use vodka for a cleaner base
- Blue Cheese Dirty Martini — Stuff olives with blue cheese
Practise making the Dirty Martini in the free Virtual Bar game.