Classic Cocktail: The Dirty Martini



As the great hip-hop artist Chamillionaire once said, They see me rollin' / They hatin' / Patrolling and tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty. 

This my friends, is one for the haters. Serious Martini Drinkers are known for having Particular Preferences as to how their cocktails are made. As a bartender, my most specific instructions from customers have been in regards to Martinis, and in ways you would think unimaginable. These folks will bust out ratios that require an advanced mathematics degree. Serious Martini Drinkers are also known to hate on the Dirty Martini for... well, reasons. I personally don't mind a Dirty Martini but I hadn't actually consumed one myself in years until my most recent Truffle Shuffle cooking class (more on this below the recipe). They are a bit dated, to be fair, but tasty all the same.

Because the Dirty Martini is a savory cocktail, picking the right gin is important. Or, if you must, vodka.  So nothing too floral or delicate. A solid London Dry style gin will usually do the trick, but I also like to use a gin that already has some savory notes. Rutte Celery gin or Uncle Val's Peppered gin are both good options for taking this route. (These two can be a bit hard to find, but your favorite local bottle shop should be able to special order for you.) 

As for preparation, another thing Serious Martini Drinkers are known for is a Strong Opinion on how to mix the cocktail. Shaken or stirred. Typically a spirit driven cocktail like this is stirred so as not to agitate the oils and make the liquid cloudy or affect the texture. However, dirty Martinis for me have always been an exception. Depending on the olive brine, your drink is already going to have some texture issues and be a bit cloudy with the oils from the olives. I prefer to shake the hell out of my Dirty Martinis, and yes, I know someone out there is reading this with absolute incredulity, probably someone who once gave me a complex ratio of vermouth to gin. 



Dirty Martini

2.5 oz dry gin (or vodka, I guess)
heavy .25 oz dry vermouth 
.25 oz olive brine

Shake or stir, dealer's choice, for about 30 seconds with ice until diluted and chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass (put 'em in the freezer beforehand!) and garnish with olives. 


Truffle Shuffle

If you like truffles and cooking, I highly recommend these classes by former French Laundry chefs turned virtual culinary teachers. They usually have a cocktail recipe and include ingredients to make it (not the booze, just the syrup or mixer) so you can sip an adult beverage while you cook. The class includes the teaching time on Sundays, all the ingredients mailed to you, and often an option to buy some extra truffle by the ounce. Everything is super high quality and the classes are a lot of fun! I've taken two so far and plans to sign up for another one in September. If you want to try them out, use this code to get 10% off your first class. 

The Truffle Shuffle Cocktail supplies including vermouth/brine mix and goat cheese stuffed olives!


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