Dirty martini

A dirty martini is called that because the olive brine in this variation on the martini makes the cocktail somewhat cloudy.

The ‘dirty’ is definitely not a cocktail for those with a sweet tooth, but rather for salt lovers. Experiment with the amount of olive brine yourself. Some find a simple dirty martini salty enough, while others prefer a so-called filthy martini. There are also those who swear by vodka, while others feel that the subtle flavor of this drink cannot stand up to the salty notes. They want only gin, and sometimes no vermouth either.

How do you discover your own preferences? By trying! And start carefully—perhaps don’t use the full recommended amount of olive brine right away.

Method

‘Muddle’ the olive. In other words: grind it finely in a mortar. Put all the ingredients, including the muddled olive, into a cocktail shaker half-filled with crushed ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve to taste with an olive on a cocktail pick.

This recipe has been adapted from the original recipe in The Guardian.