This Dirty Martini, cold, delicious and refreshing, is going to be your new favorite cocktail. Our recipe has the perfect ratio of ingredients. The dirtier the better!
This Dirty Martini recipe is one of my very favorite cocktails. A fun little fact, a restaurant once tweeted at us that they used this recipe. They loved it so much that it became a regular feature on their menu.
A dirty martini is a regular martini that is made “dirty” with the addition of olive brine. While most dirty martini recipes call for a splash of olive brine and some dry vermouth, we opt to take out the dry vermouth and add in more brine. The result is a very cold and flavorful cocktail that olive lovers will fall head over heels for.
I used Kettle One and Mezzetta Spanish Queens! Perfection!! Though I must admit, I enhanced, ever so slightly! I used two ounces of olive brine and threw Four olives in! Although your right, it MUST be ICE COLD!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!
How to Make a Dirty Martini
This is a brief overview of how to make this delicious cocktail. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chill your martini glass. Read up on how to do this below.
- Grab some quality vodka. Because this is the primary ingredient, we want to start with something really delicious. Read more on this below.
- Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. I like to use a metal shaker because then you can feel when you have shaken it enough, the shaker will be cold in your hand.
- Strain and serve. Strain the dirty martini into the chilled glasses and add the olive garnish.
Olive Juice for a Dirty Martini
Olive brine, or olive juice, is the liquid that olives sit in. You can buy a bottle of something marked “olive brine” in many liquor stores. However, my experience has been that it is really watery and doesn’t give you the same olive punch of flavor that you get from the brine in a jar of olives.
To cut cost on this cocktail, buy a jar of green olive pieces and use that olive juice. It will have the same taste but be cheaper than a jar of whole green olives.
Shaken or Stirred
You will notice in the instructions of this recipe that we are shaking it up in a cocktail shaker. I think it is the best way to get it ice cold. The downside to this method is that you can occasionally end up with small ice pieces in your martini.
To avoid the small ice pieces you can, of course, stir your martini. Add all of the ingredients and ice to a mixing glass. Stir it up with a bar spoon and then strain it into the martini glass.
Vodka for Dirty Martini Recipe
As mentioned above, we want to go with a high quality vodka for this classic cocktail since it is the base of the recipe. I would recommend going with Grey Goose or Belvedere. They are top notch and so smooth in this martini.
If you are working on a budget, grab a bottle of Titos. You can also go with Costco’s brand of Kirkland Vodka. Both of these give you great taste for the cost.
Chilled Martini Glass
A perfect dirty martini recipe is one that is ice cold. To that end, we are going to chill the martini glass before we start the recipe. You will want to add some ice to the glass, and then fill it with cold water. Put it in the refrigerator (or freezer) for about 10 minutes. Empty the glass before straining your martini into it.
Vermouth
As mentioned above, I didn’t include vermouth in this recipe. In taste testing and developing this recipe, I discovered that I like this recipe so much more without the Vermouth. Give it a try, I think you’ll agree!
There is a note in the recipe about vermouth. If you do like it, add between a splash and 1/4 of an ounce.
Type of Olives
You only want to use green olives and green olive brine for your dirty martini recipe. I have had restaurants experiment with kalamata brine and black olive brine, and that is something we do not recommend.
Other Classic Cocktails
If having this dirty martini recipe makes you want to have all the classic cocktails, then you have come to the right place!
If you make this vodka dirty martini or any of my other cocktails, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Dirty Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces quality vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces olive juice (sse note)
- olives for garnish
Instructions
- Combine vodka and olive juice in a martini shaker. Stir with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with olives.
Notes
did you make this
Dirty Martini Recipe
Lizzie says
Love a good Dirty Martini! You might want to say that olive lovers will fall head over heels rather than head over heals. Just an old professional editor here…
Thank you! Every writer needs an editor ;)
Brenda says
Use good quality olives, it makes a huge difference. The brine is the key to the Martini.
Lizzie says
Hi Lisa:
Always pleased to be of editorial help! And Brenda is right about using really good olives — we use Mezzetta Spanish Queens. They are huge and delicious.
Jaxk says
This is what I think it the best way. Use grey goose. Good olives. Shake it very well. Is perfect.
Salley Correira says
lol……. :):):):):):):)
Tammi says
I used Kettle One and Mezzetta Spanish Queens! Perfection!! Though I must admit, I enhanced, ever so slightly! I used two ounces of olive brine and threw Four olives in! Although your right, it MUST be ICE COLD!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Stephanie says
Love my dirty martinis and using olives stuffed with Blue Cheese. Since having your martini extra cold is key, I start my recipe by first chilling the martini glass…I add ice to the martini glass to chill it. Throw out the ice before pouring in your dirty martini mix. Delish!!
Lori says
You say in the introduction you should shake the martini, but in the instructions in the recipe you have it stirred in the shaker
Good catch! I’ve done both and both work great.
Lora Montgomery says
Great recipe…I used jalapeno stuffed olives!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Judy Engleka says
This is exactly how I make my dirty martinis. Love them!
The best, right?