Dirty Martini

If the martini is classic, the dirty martini is a seasoned classic. And while asking for a “dirty” cocktail might not sound appealing, trust us: Adding olive brine to this classic cocktail recipe is a smart move. The salty brine works to make the drink taste savory and complex. It brings out the other flavors in the drink, accentuating vodka’s nuanced silkiness (or gin’s subtle sweetness, if you’re making a gin martini). Meanwhile, salt suppresses the alcohol’s harsh notes and vermouth’s bitterness.

Olive brine becomes infused with the olives’ natural fats while they marinate. That added fat gives a dirty martini a lightly unctuous quality and full mouthfeel. Put it all together, and a dirty martini tastes like nothing short of pure harmony. But don’t just take our word for it! Here’s how to make a dirty martini—even when there isn’t any olive brine left in the jar.

What is a dirty martini?

A dirty martini is a variation of the gin or vodka martini, made savory by the addition of olive brine or olive juice. The drink is said to have originated at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City in the early 1900s. Bartender John O’Connor “dirtied” a dry martini by adding muddled olives. Over time, the crushed olives were replaced with olive brine. It took a while for the cocktail to take off, and it may have sprung to popularity thanks to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who loved the drink so much he allegedly traveled with his own martini kit.

Dirty Martini Ingredients

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• Vodka: You can make dirty martinis with gin or vodka. We like how vodka’s mostly neutral flavor takes a backseat to the briny olives. The best vodka for a dirty martini depends on your tastes. Choose a high-quality vodka brand that pleases your palate. Personally, I like Absolut Elyx because of its smooth mouthfeel and warm finish.
• Dry vermouth: This fortified wine has been aromatized with botanicals like bark, fruit, roots and flowers. It introduces complex floral flavors and a slight bitterness. Unlike hard alcohol, vermouth does expire. Treat an open bottle of vermouth like wine and store it in the fridge. Plan on using it within a month—three months, max.
• Olive brine or juice: Olive brine is a mixture of salt, water and vinegar used to marinate olives. The liquid becomes enriched with a deeply savory flavor as the olives sit in the jar. If there’s not enough brine in your olive jar, you can buy olive juice specifically designed for making dirty martinis. These mixtures can be a little intense, so add a small amount and increase the olive juice to taste.
• Pimiento-stuffed olives: Pimento-stuffed picholine olives are the traditional type of olive used for martinis, but don’t feel like you have to stick with them. Try unstuffed olives or olives stuffed with blue cheese or garlic in your next dirty martini.

Directions

Step 1: Stir the dirty martini

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Combine the vodka, vermouth and olive brine in a mixing glass with ice.

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Stir the cocktail until it’s chilled.

Editor’s Tip: Use a bar spoon to stir the cocktail for about 20 seconds, or until it’s very cold. You’ll want to keep the spoon along the inside of the mixing glass to prevent jostling the ingredients too much. Sorry, James Bond, but martinis are meant to be stirred, not shaken.

Step 2: Strain and serve the dirty martini

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Strain the cocktail into a martini glass. If desired, garnish it with olives.

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Dirty Martini Variations

• Use gin: If you prefer a martini with bold botanical flavor, use gin instead of vodka.
• Make it without olives: Olives are a somewhat essential component of a dirty martini, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play and have fun! Try making a dirty martini with feta brine, preserved lemon brine or pickle brine. I like to add a drop of olive oil to vinegar-rich brines to help create balance. But be careful, as too much oil can make the drink feel slick.
• Skip the vermouth: Some bartenders skip the vermouth when making dirty martinis. The olive brine provides plenty of complexity (a role usually fulfilled by the vermouth), so it’s not strictly necessary. I tend to agree, and make my dirty martinis by swirling a little vermouth in the glass. Before adding the remaining ingredients, I dump out the vermouth so only the aroma lingers behind.
• Make a filthy martini: Increase the ratio of olive brine to vodka, and the martini will be so dirty that it becomes “filthy.”

Can you make a dirty martini ahead of time?

We don’t recommend making dirty martinis ahead of time; they taste best when freshly stirred. Plus, they come together so quickly it’s easy to whip one up in a matter of minutes. If you absolutely must prepare dirty martinis ahead of time, mix the cocktails and strain them off the ice. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s not safe to store olive brine at room temperature (this could lead to bacterial growth), even when mixed into an alcohol-rich drink.

Dirty Martini Tips

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How do you make olive brine for dirty martinis?

There’s never enough brine in the olive jar for dirty martinis, but the mixture is easy to make at home. The basic recipe for 1 cup of olives is 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. You may need to adjust the quantities if your olives are very salty, and feel free to add flavorings like dry vermouth, gin or herbs. Pour the mixture into a jar filled with olives, replace the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least one day to let the flavors meld.

Should you make a dirty martini with gin or vodka?

You can make a dirty martini with either gin or vodka—your choice! Vodka martinis tend to be smoother and have a more pronounced olive flavor. Gin martinis, on the other hand, have more complexity, and the salty olives bring out the gin’s natural sweetness.