Dirty Martini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for a dirty martini? ›

"Dirty" simply refers to the addition of olive juice or brine. It's a classic co*cktail 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.

Ordering a Martini “Extra Dirty” or “Filthy” adjusts the co*cktail's recipe to include a higher ratio of salty olive brine in the drink. The Filthy Martini hones in on the olive brine's distinct taste in an otherwise Dirty Martini and turns it up to the max.

A classic dirty martini can be made, depending on drinker's preference, with all gin or all vodka, but using half gin, half vodka — with some vermouth and brine — results in a drink that leans a bit fresher and cleaner. (Should you prefer to stick with one spirit, use 2½ ounces of either gin or vodka in this recipe.)

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.

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.

Order your martini wet, dry, or extra dry.

These terms refer to the ratio of gin or vodka to vermouth. If you do not specify what you want, you will be served a martini with a standard ratio. A wet martini is a martini with extra vermouth. A dry martini refers to a martini with less vermouth in it.

Bone-dry: a martini made with extremely little or no vermouth.

What makes a martini co*cktail dry is a lower level of vermouth – a dry martini co*cktail has a low vermouth to vodka ratio. The less vermouth you put in, the drier a martini co*cktail becomes. More vermouth? That means it's a wet martini co*cktail.

Dirty martini

You feel as though it marks you as sophisticated, debonair, a little dangerous. You're probably wearing a black turtleneck and have been waiting for an attractive woman to come to the bar all night just so you could order it within her earshot.

What is a bruised dirty martini? ›

A bruised Martini is a Martini that has been over-shaken. Overshaking can splinter the ice, causing slivers of ice and oxygen to rise to the surface of the co*cktail once poured, which makes the drink appear cloudy or murky when it should appear clear.

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.

A Wet Martini or 50/50 shifts toward vermouth, creating a more aromatically complex drink with heavier body. The Dirty Martini uses brine in much the same way we use salt in cooking, to accentuate both the sweet and savory components of vermouth while tamping down any bitterness.

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 Dirty Martini make the perfect drink for that charming guy standing at the bar that has a bit more class and maturity than any fruit co*cktail drinking wimp. “Martini: shaken, not stirred,” like Bond these manly co*cktails will sneak up on you before you know it.

Begin with a London dry-style gin. From there, add a little dry vermouth. The ratio is negotiable, but common formulas for a Dry Martini typically fall in the range of four-to-eight parts gin to one part vermouth. A dash of orange bitters ties the room together.

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.

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.