Dirty Martini Recipe

This Dirty Martini, cold, delicious and refreshing, is going to be your new favorite cocktail. With the right ingredients, it couldn’t be more simple to make. The dirtier the better!

Looking for a martini that is sweet and not savory? Try my Lemon Drop Martini.

WHAT IS A DIRTY MARTINI?

While the name “dirty” martini may not sound refreshing or even appetizing, it’s actually a very flavorful twist on the traditional martini. Just as the Cosmopolitan Cocktail or Lemon Drop Martini uses fruit juice to add a different flavor, this Dirty Martini Recipe uses olive juice or brine. The result is a tangy cocktail that is the perfect potion to kick off happy hour any night of the week. 

This vodka martini dirty comes together in just three ingredients: vodka, olive juice, and olives for garnish.

HOW TO MAKE A DIRTY MARTINI

Start with quality vodka.  Since the majority of this cocktail is vodka, you want to buy a high quality brand that its going to go down smooth. Not sure what you like? Visit a distillery for taste testing! You will find an amazing bottle.

Add olive brine. This recipe calls for almost double the brine most other recipes call for. You all know how I love the taste of things that are pickled (looking at you Pickled Red Onions!). If that’s not your jam, cut the amount in half. Tip:  Buy a jar of green olive pieces and use that brine. It will taste the same and be cheaper.

Combine the ingredients in a metal shaker with ice.  Using a metal shaker will ensure that your ingredients get ice cold, and that is a key in this recipe.

You want your martini shaken, not stirred. Shaking the cocktail with ice will ensure it’s served up icy cold.

Strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with jumbo green olives. How many olives you want is up to you. I’ve heard that the correct number of olives is as many as you can convince the bartender to give you. So since you’re making this at home, the sky’s the limit!

WHAT ABOUT THE VERMOUTH

You’ll notice that I didn’t include vermouth in this recipe, and that is because I’ve had a dirty vodka martini with vermouth and without, and I really don’t like it with Vermouth. So I choose to make my dirty martini without vermouth.

There is a note in the recipe about vermouth. If you do like it (and you should try it at least once), you want to add between a splash to and 1/4 of an ounce.

WHAT 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 . . . just no.

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!

• FRENCH 75
• GIN FIZZ
• AMARETTO SOUR
• MARGARITA
• WHISKEY SOUR
• MOSCOW MULE

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Dirty Martini Recipe

This Dirty Martini, cold, delicious and refreshing, is going to be your new favorite cocktail. With the right ingredients, it couldn't be more simple to make. The dirtier the better!

Prep Time2 mins

Total Time2 mins

Course: cocktails

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dirty martini, vodka martini dirty

Servings: 1 cocktail

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

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

This is just about the dirtiest martini you are going to find. If you aren't sure about the olive juice, start with half the amount listed. If it isn't dirty enough for you, add more. I LOVE it just as written.

Vermouth:  You will notice that this recipe does not call for vermouth. If you want to try it with vermouth, add anywhere from a splash to 1/4 ounce for a single martini.

Nutrition

Serving: 1martini | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 547mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g

SaveSave

SaveSave