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 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's the best vodka for Dirty Martinis? With its savory and spicy notes of black pepper and brown bread, Chopin Rye Vodka is the best vodka for Dirty Martinis, featuring dry vermouth, olive brine, and olives.

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. There are many different ways to make a martini co*cktail to your liking.

Dirty Martini

Calls for 3 ½ ounces gin or vodka, ½ ounce dry vermouth, and ½ ounce olive brine.

Once you have consumed two, you must move on to a soft drink, such as wine or a gin and tonic. The reasons for this are obvious and I try to adhere to this rule at home. The rule is defended most enduringly (and elegantly) at Duke's Bar in Central London, where years of experience … Continue reading.

An unspoken superstition deems an even number of olives bad luck. Like avoiding a black cat in an alleyway, most seasoned bartenders will only serve Martinis with one or three olives (never two or four). The origins of this superstition remain a mystery, but are adamantly followed.

Desert Martini or a Churchill Martini

No vermouth is used. This is essentially straight gin diluted with ice and garnished with either a lemon twist or olives.

Dylan Garret is Liquor.com's editorial director, a former bartender, and a longtime veteran of the hospitality industry. The Dirty Martini features gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine.

Vermouth: Dolin Dry

Dolin is on the more expensive side of vermouths, but it tastes fantastic in a dirty martini. It doesn't overpower the other flavours (ahem, olive juice which I'll get to in a minute) but does balance the gin well.

What is the best cheap vodka for martinis? ›

Dry White Wine

Because dry vermouth is a fortified white wine, it makes sense that you can use white wine as a dry vermouth substitute. Stick to dry whites versus sweet for best results.

A dirty martini uses olive brine, making the appearance a bit cloudy, and well... dirty.

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.

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.

A dry martini means that it is less sweet, containing less dry vermouth (which is called dry itself as it is less sweet than its red counterpart). A wet martini will have a higher amount of vermouth in the mix and a dirty martini means the addition of brine.