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.

However, while many bartenders default to gin as the ideal option for a standard Martini, many find vodka to be the better choice for a Dirty Martini. This is because the spirit's more neutral profile allows the olive brine to shine more prominently, without getting muddled by gin's heavier botanicals.

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.”

The most straightforward way to choose a vermouth is to match the style to your drink and grab a bottle of what's called for in the recipe. Dolin is a popular brand, and the one I reach for the most, though Martini & Rossi and Cinzano are ubiquitous and serviceable, especially if you seek out their premium lines.

Dirty: All that olive brine signals that you don't really like martinis. Order whiskey next time. Appletini: Either you're obsessed with retro drinks and you're being ironic with this order, or you haven't been out of the house since 1998.

Bone Dry. Almost no vermouth is used. “Bone dry” is a common way to specify just a whisper of vermouth. If you are in a bar, ordering an extra dry Martini amounts to the same thing.

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.

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.

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

What makes a martini not dirty? ›

A dirty martini means that olive juice or olive brine is mixed in. This can be on its own, or in addition to “with a twist” for a lemon brine or “with an olive”. A clean martini refers to a martini served without a garnish.

However, a new trend for savoury garnishes emerged in the 1880s, and bartenders were quick to embrace the olive. Why? Because the flavour highlights the aromatics in the gin, as well as complementing the vermouth and balancing the Martini's bracing intensity.

I'll take the Kirkland one. I heard it's the exact same as Grey Goose, but way cheaper. Actually, it's not the same. Grey Goose doesn't make it.

An extra dirty martini co*cktail contains a generous portion of olive brine. The “dirty” part of a Dirty Martini co*cktail relates to the olive ingredients, and “extra dirty” just means more olive flavor, like in the Dirtiest Martini co*cktail.

This dry martini recipe calls for five parts gin to one part dry vermouth, which gives the drink a lovely aromatic quality. If you prefer an even drier co*cktail, you can lower the proportion of vermouth to ¼ ounce—but don't leave it out altogether or your drink won't be a martini at all (just a glass of icy cold gin).

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.

A dirty martini means that olive juice or olive brine is mixed in. This can be on its own, or in addition to “with a twist” for a lemon brine or “with an olive”. A clean martini refers to a martini served without a garnish.

The only way to make this better is to use Noilly Pratt vermouth. Nothing else compares. Many of the other vermouths will detract and distract from the Bombay Sapphire. The Noilly makes it perfect!