January 31, 2011
I apologize for not getting more wine and cocktail posts up on the site, but January has been a dry-ish month here at the house. Wine and liquor exports must be suffering all over the globe…
Today, however, is a special day. Not only is it the last day of the month (hootie hoo!), but it is also my dear friend Kyle’s birthday! You may remember Kyle from our flower arranging video. Needless to say, for this special day, I have to post my favorite martini recipe made to enjoy with my favorite martini man. Happy Birthday Kyle!
I hate the “aftermath” of an evening of martini sugar bombs, so this savory drink appeals to my palate and allows me to function the next day without a major headache. Though, let’s be real. After a couple of these, I won’t be functioning much at all. The dirty martini is one of those drinks that I imagine Thurston and Lovey Howell drinking at their Upper East Side penthouse. At some point, too many martinis always leads to me having conversations “Katherine Hepburn style” through my teeth, “you’re beautiful darling, absolutely beautiful!”
This recipe is for a very dirty martini. I love olive juice and tons of olives, but feel free to experiment to get the ratios the way you like them. Cheers!
A splash of dry vermouth
3 ounces premium vodka, chilled
3 ounces olive juice
1 huge cup of ice
2 toothpicks filled with olives
Martini olives (Try these from Santa Barbara Olive Co.–so yummy!)
Martini shaker
Shot glass
2 Martini Glasses
Splash the dry vermouth in one of your glasses. Coat the interior of the glass with a circular motion, then pour the remaining vermouth in the next glass and repeat, pouring out the excess.
Shaker: add the vodka, olive juice (this is just the brine from your martini olives), and ice, then shake, shake, shake (I usually count to 30 or 40). Pour into your glasses and garnish with your spear of olives. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I peel some lemon skins, fold them and spear them between the olives.
Note: The key to this drink is keeping everything COLD. I keep my vodka in the freezer and make sure I have plenty ice on hand.
