Beyond Know How

Do you like martinis, but the alcohol is too strong? Have you ever wondered what a dirty martini is? Well the answer is simple. A dirty martini is just like a regular martini, but it usually has  some added olive juice. The olive juice helps tame the flavor of the alcohol, and gives the martini more of an amber color, instead of the classic clear martini color.

When making a dirty martini you can just mix up your favorite gin or vodka, and add a little brine from your green olive jar. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass, add some olives, (at least three) and voila, you have a classic dirty martini.

If you aquire a taste for dirty martinis and notice that you have a refrigerator full of dried up olives you may want to check out Dirty Sue’s premium olive juice. It is made specifically for dirty martinis and is the most popular olive juice out there.

If you are tending bar and your customer asks for a dirty vodka martini straight up this is what you do. First take a martini glass and chill it with some ice. While your glass is chilling take your martini shaker and add some ice to it.

Prior to the James Bond movies most martinis were stirred. But after the famous shaken not stirred line caught on shakers became in vogue. Then pour some brine from your olives into the shaker, then add a dash of dry vermouth.

Then add a couple ounces of Vodka. Shake about 7 or eight times, and strain into your chilled stemmed cocktail glass.

If you want to add a little lemon flavor you can use Citron Vodka, and garnish with a lemon peel, and an olive.