Down and Dirty Martini
Green beer for St. Patrick’s Day?
Not a chance! Just far too “college party” for me (at my age)!
Give me a rich, deep, olive green dirty martini any day to celebrate ‘anything’! Nothing could be finer! Even while attending college, I never could get into all of the crazy partying on St. Patrick’s Day. Rather, I have always chosen to think of St. Patrick with reverence for his spiritual mission on earth.
St. Patrick may have been a jolly Irishman, but I just don’t think he got crazy drunk.
If I am going to give a respectful salute’ to St. Patrick (or to anyone), I shall do it with the infamous and venerable martini in all its perfect simplicity! On top of that, my martini will be colored green from the addition of the delicious juices that come from green olives!
With at least three huge, jumbo olives tossed in, thank you very much!
Have you ever wondered about where this infamous cocktail originated? Was it in Italy due to its Italian name? This would surely be a great trivia question at a cocktail party, wouldn’t it? I did a little bit of research for all of us because even I didn’t know and was extremely curious.
Originally made of gin (which now gives me a pounding headache), the Martini is now even more popular when mixed with a high-quality vodka (note: emphasis is on high quality), which Martini purists would call a “Bradford”.
Originally mixed in 1862 in San Francisco, California, USA (that’s right, it’s not from Italy . . . but the vermouth is!), it was mixed with much more vermouth which has been significantly reduced today: five (5) parts vodka or gin to one (1) part Italian vermouth, then shaken or stirred with ice (there’s much debate over that process too), and is always served ‘straight up’ in a beautiful Martini glass named specifically for the Martini itself!
Many people debate about the amount of Italian vermouth to add to the mix: the drier the Martini, the less amount of vermouth is added. I discovered that some mixologists will add the vermouth to the ice in the shaker, shake it up a bit and then strain out the excess vermouth so that it just graces the final mixture.
Sounds good to me!
“Shaken, not stirred” stated the gorgeous eye-candy, James Bond. This debate is based on one band of Martini enthusiasts who believe that the shaken mixture ‘bruises’ the alcohol and waters down the final cocktail. But others believe that all of that shaking and theatric drama adds life and oxygen to the cocktail, blends the vermouth in better, and ignites the final taste!
I totally agree . . . I’ll have what James Bond is having! Shake it until it is ice cold! Mr. Bond also made the vodka Martini more popular. Hey, he has been one smart guy!
Along with James Bond, the likes of Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Clark Gable and “Hawkeye” from **MASH** (the hit American TV show) proclaimed to the other military doctors “I’m pursuing my lifelong quest for the perfect, the absolutely driest Martini to be found in this or any other world”.
For whatever reason, the Martini lost popularity in the ’70s and ’80s, but became wildly popular in the last two decades with the explosion of the revived cocktail revolution today where there is a dizzying array of creative cocktails to choose from. Along with olives, mixologists now add sun-dried tomatoes, slivers of lemons, herbs, and capers . . . the list of possibilities is simply endless! With the creation of numerous flavored vodkas, the versions for the famous Martini are limited only to one’s imagination!
Serve chilled immediately.
Double, triple or quadruple for your lucky friends and family to enjoy with you!
Salute’ to St. Patrick!
Down and Dirty Martini
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Ingredients
- Lots of ice
- 3 shots Grey Goose vodka
- 1/2 shot of brine (juice) from cocktail olives
- 1 dash Italian Martini & Rossi extra dry vermouth
- 3 jumbo pimento/garlic/blue cheese stuffed green olives (provide a variety for your guest)
Instructions
- Fill a metal martini shaker with ice.
- Add the vodka, vermouth and olive brine.
- Close the shaker tightly and shake it for a long time until liquid condensates on the outside of the shaker.
- Place 3 olives in the bottom of a martini glass.
- Strain the vodka, olive brine and vermouth mixture into each martini glass over the olives.
- Serve chilled immediately.
Well, aren’t we just two peas from the same pod? The dirty martini is my all time favorite cocktail as well! Even though it is Sunday morning, your pictures make me want to go make right now. 🙂 I do like mine super dry (no vermouth), but with your stress on using Italian vermouth, I think I need to give that a try. I can’t say the vermouth I buy is really good vermouth, so it’s time to taste a really good one. A good gin or vodka – absolutely! 🙂
Actually MJ, I make it both ways! I mix it with vodka since I started getting headaches from gin many years ago. I do miss a good gin and tonic in the summer time. But I can pass on it to avoid a headache!
Cheers my friend!
Roz
A dirty martini is way more grown up than green beer. I hope you enjoyed your St. Patrick’s day.
Thanks Karen! I hope that you did too. We tend to enjoy more quiet ways to spend St. Patrick’s Day and a dirty martini is just what the doctor ordered, as the saying goes!
Ciao,
Roz
oh my goodness! this looks so good and needed right about now! lveo the stuffed olive addition-my favorite way to have a martini! anne
It’s the weekend Anne and it’s Mother’s Day! A perfect cocktail to celebrate! Cheers!
Roz
Oh – don’t get me started on dirty martinis! I’ve always made mine with gin, but since I don’t have any gin, but I do have vodka – looks like I’m be making your recipe! It’s been years since I’ve had one and now I’m craving it. Thanks!
A woman in pursuit of the Perfect Martini!
Bella!
now that looks down and dirty!
I agree, Roz, that St. Patrick was anything but what his holiday has become in many instances…all holidays seem to be so secularized these days.
I do enjoy a good martini now and then, and yours looks absolutely exquisite!
Hi Pat, As a priest stated on our local TV news last night: “It’s not about the booze, it’s not about wearing the color of green, it’s not about the parades and parties. St. Patrick’s Day is about the spreading of the Gospel and Christianity.”
MMMM- that is my way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! No green beer for me.
Ditto here! LOL!
oh sooo good! would love to have a glass for breakfast sitting by the pool on a sunny sunny day…
So Roz, I am picturing you in the Liner sipping a martini when everyone else is chugging beer 🙂 Interesting history! xo
Sadly, I wasn’t very sophisticated at the time of the ‘Liner” days Liz! Beer is at the bottom of my list for beverages these days! Thank goodness!
looks good, a bit strong for my taste Hope you are well and have a FAB weekend!!
Rosemary
NYC Style and a little Cannoli
What a great looking martini. I’m not a gin fan, but I do like a vodka martini now and again. A great St. Paddy’s Day toast! Great pictures, too.
Great looking martini Roz. My husband family are big martini drinkers, so I’ve come to like them too. They like gin with Noilly Pratt extra dry vermouth. I’m the only one who likes vodka, except occasionally my husband. Interesting that you prefer the sweet vermouth. I always have a bottle of sweet vermouth on hand in case someone wants a Negroni. I’ll have to test your martini. Just remember, one martini, two martini, three martini, floor 🙂
Sam
We martini enthusiasts must stick together Sam! Cheers!
This looks gorgeous and I bet tastes even better! Salute e cen’cen’ (sp?). (I’d even enjoy a little of that vermouth over ice, yum.) xo
That sounds delightful too Barbara! Cheers to SPRING TIME!
A straight up real martini! Yes!
Velva
and another Yes, Yes, YES back at ya, Velva! Salute’ to spring!
Great post. I have never given much thought to the martini
Martinis aren’t for everybody, but maybe someday give this version a try, Sarah.