This Dirty Martini recipe is one of my very favorite cocktails. A fun little fact, a restaurant once tweeted at us that they used this recipe. They loved it so much that it became a regular feature on their menu. A dirty martini is a regular martini that is made “dirty” with the addition of olive brine. While most dirty martini recipes call for a splash of olive brine and some dry vermouth, we opt to take out the dry vermouth and add in more brine. The result is a very cold and flavorful cocktail that olive lovers will fall head over heels for.
Vodka for Dirty Martini Recipe
As mentioned above, we want to go with a high quality vodka for this classic cocktail since it is the base of the recipe. I would recommend going with Grey Goose or Belvedere. They are top notch and so smooth in this martini. To cut cost on this cocktail, buy a jar of green olive pieces and use that olive juice. It will have the same taste but be cheaper than a jar of whole green olives. To avoid the small ice pieces you can, of course, stir your martini. Add all of the ingredients and ice to a mixing glass. Stir it up with a bar spoon and then strain it into the martini glass. If you are working on a budget, grab a bottle of Titos. You can also go with Costco’s brand of Kirkland Vodka. Both of these give you great taste for the cost.
Chilled Martini Glass
A perfect dirty martini recipe is one that is ice cold. To that end, we are going to chill the martini glass before we start the recipe. You will want to add some ice to the glass, and then fill it with cold water. Put it in the refrigerator (or freezer) for about 10 minutes. Empty the glass before straining your martini into it.
Vermouth
As mentioned above, I didn’t include vermouth in this recipe. In taste testing and developing this recipe, I discovered that I like this recipe so much more without the Vermouth. Give it a try, I think you’ll agree! There is a note in the recipe about vermouth. If you do like it, add between a splash and 1/4 of an ounce.
Type of Olives
You only want to use green olives and green olive brine for your dirty martini recipe. I have had restaurants experiment with kalamata brine and black olive brine, and that is something we do not recommend.
Other Classic Cocktails
If having this dirty martini recipe makes you want to have all the classic cocktails, then you have come to the right place!
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If you make this vodka dirty martini or any of my other cocktails, leave me a comment and let me know what you think! SaveSave SaveSave
