The Vodka Martini

Nov 08, 2021by Rick J. Schwab

Shu-shuk, shu-shuk, shu-shuk

There are few sounds that can define an evening or inspire a mood. When the Bartender begins to shake that cold metal vessel, you're in for a treat.

The Vodka Martini is a staple of the American Steakhouse, the red table-clothed Italian joint, or the start of cocktail hour.

The beauty of the cocktail is in its simplicity. I, however, prefer my martini, Dirty with a splash of lemon.

Dirty Martini

Ingredients :

2 1/2 Ounces of Vodka
1/2 Ounce of Olive Brine
Olives for garnish (bleu cheese olives, if you prefer)
Dry Vermouth (Just enough to coat the glass)
Half a Lemon Squeezed

Directions :

Rinse your martini glass with Dry Vermouth
Place your olives on a toothpick and place in glass
Fill your cocktail shaker up to the top with ice
Pour in your Vodka and Olive Brine + Lemon Juice (optional)
Shake for a minimum of 20 seconds or your hands are about to fall off
Pour and enjoy your delicious cocktail

Difference Between a Martini and Dirty Martini?

A straight up Martini recipe doesn't contain olive juice. The dirt in a dirty martini is olive brine combined with a two or more olives. As we know, the number of olives we're meant to signify how many sips the Martini was meant to be enjoyed in. Any dirty martini recipe worth its salt, pun not intended but intended, uses a high quality Spanish green olive. We also enjoy a blue cheese stuffed olive as well.

The bold flavor of the blue cheese stuffed olives pairs surprisingly well. The Martini Glass is specifically shaped to make drinking the martini cocktail an easier experience. After all, the chill of a dirty martini is super important. Nobody wants to drink warm vodka. Well maybe if you're in college. We take a deeper dive into the History of the Martini if you're interested in other interesting facts.

Variations of the Dirty Martini Recipe

Hot and Dirty Martini Recipe

A new popular cocktail is the hot and dirty martini. At first thought... hot sauce mixed with Vodka?? That sounds like a terrible cocktail. But we also enjoy tomato juice mixed with Vodka? So maybe its not so bad.

The only true difference in the dirty martini recipe and the hot and dirty martini recipe is the hot sauce. We generally prefer a Mexican hot sauce. Cholula is our favorite followed by Tapatio.

dirty martini, cocktail, drink