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Dirty Martini with Gin

A dirty martini made with gin is the kind of cocktail that feels effortless once you nail the technique, yet impressive enough to make you feel like a seasoned bartender in your own kitchen. Unlike its sweeter cousins, this drink celebrates the botanical bite of gin balanced against savory olive brine, creating a complex sipper that's never boring.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks and Beverages
Cuisine: Classic Cocktail
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 2 ounces premium gin
  • 0.5 ounce dry vermouth
  • 0.5 ounce olive brine from a quality olive jar
  • 2 to 3 pitted olives for serving
  • Ice for stirring and chilling

Equipment

  • Mixing glass or cocktail pitcher
  • Bar spoon or long-handled stirring spoon
  • Jigger or measuring spoon
  • Coupe glass or martini glass
  • Cocktail strainer

Method
 

  1. Place your coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least five minutes before you start mixing.
  2. Add a generous handful of ice to your mixing glass or pitcher. Large cubes or block ice melt more slowly than crushed ice.
  3. Using your jigger, pour exactly 2 ounces of gin into the mixing glass.
  4. Measure 0.5 ounce of dry vermouth and add it to the mixing glass.
  5. Add 0.5 ounce of olive brine from the jar.
  6. Using your bar spoon, stir the mixture steadily for 60 seconds without stopping.
  7. Using your cocktail strainer, pour the mixture into your waiting coupe or martini glass.
  8. Thread 2 to 3 olives onto a cocktail pick or small skewer and rest it across the rim or place it in the drink.

Notes

Stir for a full minute in a glass packed with quality ice; this single step separates homemade martinis that taste flat from ones that taste like they came from a proper bar. Use quality ice and lots of it. Keep your mixing glass and serving glass ice-cold throughout the process. Never use old or opened vermouth. Stir, never shake, a martini with gin. Serve immediately.