According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the Dirty Martini can trace its beginnings back to the Waldorf-Astoria's bartender John O'Connor who served up dry martinis with muddled olives in 1901. The first written reference to a olive brine in a martini appears in G. F. Steele's 1934 My New Cocktail Book (2nd Edition) under Perfect Martini (a la Hyland)
So everyone can stop it with the silly rumors that Franklin D. Roosevelt created this drink! F.D.R was only 19 when O'Connor began muddling olives in gin.
For some reason classic martini drinkers will bend enough to admit the Dirty Martini into their exclusive martini club, maybe because the only change is the addition of a little olive brine which ends up in a martini whenever you plop in a few olives anyway. And speaking of brine, make sure your olives are packed in brine and not marinated in any oils or you'll end up with a muddy drink, not a Dirty Martini. You can also buy bottled olive brines (like Dirty Sue Olive Juice) or even try out The Bitter Truth Olive Bitters.
For all you purists out there who insist a martini is gin and vermouth here is the official I.B.A. recipe. (For you Vodka drinkers just switch out the gin and shake your Dirty.)
The
DIRTY
MARTINI
INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Gin
1/4 Oz. Dry Vermouth
1/4 Oz. Olive Brine
Garnish: Green Olives
Tools: Mixing Pitcher, Bar Spoon, Hawthorn Strainer
DIRECTIONS
Fill mixing pitcher with ice cubes.
Add the ingredients and stir until chilled.
Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish and serve.
Extra Dirty: Add another 1/4 - 1/2 ounces of olive brine.
Extra Dry: Use just a drop of dry vermouth.
INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Gin
1/4 Oz. Dry Vermouth
1/4 Oz. Olive Brine
Garnish: Green Olives
Tools: Mixing Pitcher, Bar Spoon, Hawthorn Strainer
DIRECTIONS
Fill mixing pitcher with ice cubes.
Add the ingredients and stir until chilled.
Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish and serve.
Extra Dirty: Add another 1/4 - 1/2 ounces of olive brine.
Extra Dry: Use just a drop of dry vermouth.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
I also have a version called the Dirty Rotten Bastard Martini which also uses some black olive juice in it and black olives as garnish as well as the standard green - and of course the Dirty Bastard Martini which uses only black olive juice and black olives.
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Updated 10-2021
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