Martini (Dirty)

The dirty martini has a wonderful saltiness that is fascinating against the gin and vermouth background. "Dirty" simply refers to the addition of olive juice or brine. It is a classic cocktail that is very easy to mix up and one of the most popular variations on the original gin martini. You can make this drink as dirty as you like by pouring the olive juice to suit your taste. It may take a few rounds to find a perfect balance for you, but the experiments are fun. As you explore different brands of gin, you will want to make adjustments as well. The key to making a great dirty martini is to use high-end gin and vermouth and to add olive juice to lightly flavour it. There is a big difference between making it filthy rather than dirty, so take it easy at first.

2½ oz​ gin or vodka (75 mL)
½ oz ​dry vermouth (15 mL)
¼-½ oz olive brine (7-15 mL)

Garnish:
1 or 3 olives

Chill a cocktail glass.

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir well.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with one or three olives.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Tips:

It may be an old bar tale, but it's said that an even number of olives is bad luck.

As with any of the basic martinis, feel free to adjust the gin-vermouth ratio to your liking. The drink can also be made with your favourite vodka.

Using the liquid in an olive jar as your source is a great idea, especially if you invest in good olives. There are many gourmet olives available, stuffed with everything from the standard pimento to blue cheese or jalapeño. The brine from each of these is going to have a slightly different taste and you may prefer one over the other.

Keep in mind that olives should be refrigerated. This is a common mistake in bars and you'll find some bartenders making a dirty martini using warm juice from the garnish tray. It's a bad habit and rather disgusting and unsanitary. Luckily, many have changed their ways and are either refrigerating separate brine for martinis or using bottled olive juice.

Some bartenders also suggest using a few dashes of olive oil instead of brine. It's a good option if you are not a fan of the dirtier aspect of this cocktail. It adds just a hint of olive flavour beyond what the garnish can deliver. Just be sure it is only 1 or 2 dashes or you will create an oil slick in your glass.