Dirty Martini

By Rebekah Peppler

Published April 12, 2023

Dirty Martini
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(266)
Comments
Read comments

A classic dirty martini can be made, depending on drinker’s preference, with all gin or all vodka, but using half gin, half vodka — with some vermouth and brine — results in a drink that leans a bit fresher and cleaner. (Should you prefer to stick with one spirit, use 2½ ounces of either gin or vodka in this recipe.) Olive brine keeps the drink in the classics lane or swap in a less traditional brine, such as cornichon, pickled jalapeño, pickled tomato or preserved lemon and change up the garnish to match. Or simply stick with the olives, which are a perennial favorite for a reason.

Featured in: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Dirty Martini

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • Ice
  • 1¼ounces gin
  • 1¼ounces vodka
  • ¾ounce dry vermouth
  • ¼ to ½ounce olive brine, to taste
  • Olives (such as Castelvetrano or Manzanilla), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

239 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 301 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the gin, vodka, dry vermouth and brine. Stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe, Nick and Nora or, if you must, martini glass. Garnish with the olives.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
266 user ratings
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Comments

Bob REITANO

Stick with gin and avoid the distractions. Gin is the glory potion all the rest is confusion

Martino

The brine covers the aromatics of good gin and produces an odd flavor. I think a dirty martini should always be made with vodka, a flavorless spirit.

Ick

Please tell me other people don’t think this is all kinda wrong.

Kaitlin

My husband prefers vodka, and I prefer gin, so we typically make two separate martinis. We thought we’d give this a try, and martini snobs be darned, we thought it was delish! And now we just double it and make two at once! Reading through the comments, it seems like people maybe need to calm down and just enjoy the drink. Recipes don’t always need to be followed precisely. I add a little pepperoncini brine to this (blasphemy, I know!) and even some extra olive brine. Bonus points for blue cheese stuffed olives. Cheers!

Alex Sz

I was surprised at how much I liked this version. I'm a dirty martini fan and until last night wasn't able to recreate the one I have at my favorite haunt. Nice balance, and the brine comes through without overpowering. Cerignola olives are a nice touch.

piet

James Bond, “Shaken” I prefer mine “Stirred”, less dilution

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