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Dirty Martini Recipe

Dirty Martini Recipe

This Dirty Martini Recipe is crisp, cold, and perfectly savory with a balanced blend of gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine. It's an easy 5-minute cocktail that's ideal for happy hour, dinner parties, or a relaxing evening at home.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 215
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2½ ounces gin or vodka
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth
  • ½ ounce green olive brine
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 3 whole green olives For garnish

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker or mixing glass
  • Jigger
  • Hawthorne strainer
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Martini or coupe glass
  • Cocktail pick

Method
 

  1. Chill the glass. Place a martini glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill it with ice water until frosty.
  2. Measure the ingredients. Add the gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine to a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. The mixture should look mostly clear with a slight cloudy tint.
  3. Add fresh ice. Fill the shaker about three-quarters full with ice so the ingredients are completely surrounded.
  4. Shake or stir. Shake for 15–20 seconds for an extra-cold martini, or stir for about 30 seconds if you prefer a crystal-clear drink. The shaker should become very cold and frosty.
  5. Strain the cocktail. Empty the chilled glass and strain the martini into it. Use a fine mesh strainer if desired for a smoother finish.
  6. Garnish and serve. Add three green olives on a cocktail pick and serve immediately while the drink is ice cold.

Notes

  • Chill both the glass and the vermouth for the smoothest, coldest martini.
  • Use olive brine from a quality jar of green olives for the best flavor.
  • Taste before adding extra brine, since it's much easier to make a martini dirtier than to fix one that's too salty.