Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Olive Infusion
- 375 ml dry vermouth
- 120 g cerignola olives, chopped
Cocktail Assembly
- 45 ml navy-strength gin
- 45 ml olive-infused vermouth
- ½ ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 mixed olives, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 887 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 67 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 1271 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 346 mg
- Calcium
- 1019 mg
- Iron
- 8.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 36 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Water
- 154 g
- Alcohol
- 17 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine 375ml dry vermouth and 120g chopped Cerignola olives in a glass container. Seal the lid and store at room temperature for 3 days, shaking the container once every 24 hours.
Place a cocktail glass in the freezer for 5 minutes or fill it with ice water to chill.
Fill a mixing glass three-quarters full with ice. Add 45ml gin and 45ml of the prepared olive-infused vermouth.
Stir the mixture with a bar spoon for 30 seconds until the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold.
Strain the liquid into the chilled cocktail glass, discarding the ice.
Apply a few drops of olive oil to the surface of the drink using an eyedropper. Serve immediately with a side dish of mixed olives.
Chef's Notes
- For the olive infusion, ensure your vermouth is fresh. Stale vermouth will impart an unpleasant flavor, regardless of the olives used.
- Navy-strength gin provides a robust backbone for this cocktail, but a good quality London Dry gin can also be used if preferred. Adjust quantity based on your preference for alcohol strength.
- The key to a well-chilled cocktail is proper dilution and temperature. Stirring for the specified time ensures the drink is perfectly chilled without over-diluting.
- When adding the olive oil, do so carefully. A little goes a long way, and too much can make the drink feel greasy rather than adding aromatic complexity.
- Taste the olive-infused vermouth after the 3-day infusion. If you desire a stronger olive flavor, you can let it infuse for another day, but be cautious of it becoming bitter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 month — Store the infused vermouth component in a sealed container.
Troubleshooting
Drink is watery and lacks flavor
Cause: Ice melted too quickly during stirring
Fix: Cannot be fixed once diluted.
Prevention: Use large, solid ice cubes directly from the freezer and stir quickly.
Infusion is bitter or cloudy
Cause: Olives were infused for longer than 3 days or crushed too aggressively
Fix: Filter through a paper coffee filter to remove sediment.
Prevention: Strain the vermouth through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter exactly after 72 hours.
Cultural Context
The Dirty Martini is an American variation of the classic Martini, believed to have originated in the early 20th century. Its 'dirty' characteristic comes from the addition of olive brine or, as in this improved version, an olive-infused vermouth, reflecting a preference for savory and complex cocktail profiles in American mixology.
